Silent Sacrifice
by xxSilverEchoxx
Summary: Sasuke/Sakura and hinted Itachi/Sakura. She sacrificed everything to save him. She left Konoha with his older brother to grow stronger, and, gradually, found radiance amongst the shadows. Everything, all of it, was done to bring him back.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

_I don't know why I'm writing this—I don't want to be writing this. But Desunei said it would be good to vent my emotions without taking out several acres of land along the way. As always, she was right._

_The war is going to start tomorrow: this I know for sure. After all, I once stayed with an Akatsuki member for two years, so I have my sources. The one thing I don't know is how many villages have allied themselves with the Akatsuki. We don't know how many shinobi we are up against. It scares me._

_But I will not let my fear waver my decision. From the time I left with __him__ from Konoha, I knew that this was going to happen. __His__ younger brother would come to fulfill his hunger for revenge, and I would have to stop him from destroying the village I love—the people I love. __His__ training me was not futile. I was molded from the start to end this war._

_The only thing __he__ didn't take into consideration was the fact that I knew I was going to die. __He__ thought that I was strong enough to stop them; and, in a way, I am now. I will stop Sasuke and the Akatsuki…at the cost of my own life._

_I'm pretty sure no one will grieve me too much. Well, maybe Naruto and my family. Maybe even Kakashi-sensei. But they'll just have to realize that it was either me or the whole village._

_Hmm…maybe that's why I'm writing this - so that they can read it and understand._

_They will know that I did it out of love. After all, I always have let my emotions show too much. That is why I am weak, ne? Emotions get in the way too much. I have and forever will be the weak link. A team is only as strong as its weakest link, so maybe, after I die, this village will be stronger. In that I am happy._

_I have many hopes for my loved ones for the future. How can I not, really? They are all so very strong and confident— they will all turn into something great. Like Naruto. I can feel the tears in my eyes right now, even though I haven't cried in over a year. I only let the tears fall when I am sure they will be masked—in all their superfluous grieving—by torrents of rain. Yet here I am, crying because it has become too hard to hold it in. But it is more of a pleased rather than anguished emotion that has overcome me._

_Naruto will indubitably be the flame that powers Konoha, and I have no doubt that when he and Sasuke fight (whenever that may be), love will conquer revenge._

_There are so many hopes, so many things that can and __will __happen. It's as if I can see the future, so clear these wishes and accomplishments are. Ha, seeing the future—__he__ and __his__ Sharingan eyes must have rubbed off on me._

_Well, since now I have the time, I might as well write my hopes down here. It will be a last little remembrance of me, so that you can know what has driven me on through this chaos. All in all, this is my shinobi way of life._

My Goals

_My first and foremost duty—my goal—is to protect my village. Protect what I love and never let them get hurt, even if it means I shall die because of it. Love is not a weakness—it is the most capable thing to go against hate, to defeat revenge._

_I would want to live to see the day when Naruto became Hokage. He would—will—be the greatest leader any of the Great Shinobi Villages had ever seen. I know this because he has something I haven't seen in anyone else—and that is the never-ending will to do what is right. He never puts his life above others' and he never gives up on what he believes in._

_Naruto, if you're reading this, know that I am __so__ proud of you. You have always been there for me even when I tried to pull away. Thank you for that. I consider you one of my most precious people, and don't expect that to ever change. One day, you will fulfill __your__ dream. Somehow you have made it one of mine to see you happy. I love you, Naruto, as a friend, as a teammate, as family. I will never forget you, even when I'm dead._

_My next wish would be to see Sasuke home and…content with his life. Sasuke, if you're reading this—though I doubt it, since why would he even care?—know that I do not hate you. I understand that that will not make a difference, but I wanted you to know anyway._

_You have lived in darkness your whole life, and I thought that once you killed __him__ you would come back to Konoha…come back to me. Well, I have long since abandoned that wish. After what __he__ told me, I knew it would come to this. Whether we meet in battle tomorrow or not does not matter. It was destined that you and Naruto would fight._

_You two were meant to be powerful, and I only wish that I could say the same for myself. At least now I know my place._

_So please, Sasuke, come back willingly and be happy. Smile for me. Smile for __Naruto__. He would want to see that. After all, we've never seen you smile before. And if he can witness it, then I will be satisfied._

_And one more thing, Sasuke: I forgive you. I left the village so that I could bring you back, and now I understand that sometimes you have to leave what you love behind. But you left for revenge, and I left for love. Even though I left my precious ones, I at least found happiness along the way. Now I just hope that on your way back home, you will be accepted and content. Because if you don't, then all of this will have been for nothing._

_I have so many other things I want to say, but I'm afraid that I don't have enough time; I have to continue trying to save the people of Konoha. But, before I go…_

_Tsunade-sama and Kakashi-sensei, you two are the reasons I became so strong. Without your teachings I would be nowhere. Tsunade-sama, you are like a mother to me, and I will never forget your strict words that forced me to train hard so I could become like you. Kakashi-sensei, even though I was never a student you favored, I thank you for staying with me when my two other boys were gone. You have both taught me so much—I love you guys._

_To the rest of the Konoha Twelve: you have been the best friends anyone could ever ask for. Ino, Hinata, Tenten…I am lucky to have known you. We have always been surrounded by stronger males, but we have them by our fingers, ne? They depend on us for love when the world lashes out rampantly, and they know it. Each of you are powerful in your own individual way, and you are needed in Konoha._

_As for Shikamaru, Kiba, Neji, Shino, Choji and Lee…what would I have done without you? Your strength pushed me to try harder, because in the end I wanted to be just like you guys. All of you had better keep fighting and rising in the ranks, because you all have it in you to be even greater shinobi._

_I can picture all of you right now, with Naruto sitting at his desk as the Hokage, Sasuke on his left and Hinata on his right, the rest of you lined up against the wall, waiting for orders. I wish I could be there to see it, when it happens. You don't know how much I love each of you._

_But I will not regret my decision._

_Now I need to go - I need to make sure no one gets hurt because of me. This war has only just begun._

My Last Wish

_...to join Itachi._

_Love,_

_Haruno Sakura; container of the Fujin na Tora Seishin_


	2. Vivid Abduction

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto.

**Silent Sacrifice Chapter 1: Vivid Abduction**

* * *

Haruno Sakura didn't have the faintest idea that anything would happen that night. She had just finished up a long day at the hospital—three jonin had returned from a mission gone horribly wrong—and was wearily walking home, her shoulders hunched and her face withdrawn.

She wandered a bit, too tired to fully grasp where she was going. There weren't a lot of people out, and it was as quiet as it ever got in Konoha.

She smiled weakly to herself, thinking, _I really need to stop pushing myself so hard._

After all, Sakura had only been training under Tsunade for two and a half years, though her strict-but-caring mentor deemed her as the best medic, not counting the Hokage herself.

Sakura came across a seemingly empty street, and she sat down on the steps leading up to a house, putting her head on her arm.

_I think I'll just rest here for a while,_ she thought, drained of energy. Her eyes closed, and she slowly fell into a light slumber.

But then she heard footsteps.

Her head snapped up, and she scanned the surrounding area with her eyes as her heightened senses kicked in. She looked deeper into the shadows, about to ask who was there, when her breath caught in her throat.

It was—

No. Sakura chided herself for even thinking that. He would never come back, not as long as he had his desire for revenge.

But the man who appeared from the shadows looked so much like her old teammate that she just had to make sure.

"Sasuke?" she asked tentatively.

The man's head whipped towards her; apparently he hadn't noticed she was there. She carefully stood up to get a better look at his face (though the top half of it was covered in shadows)…and sighed inwardly as she realized that it indeed was not him.

Then she tensed as she recognized the man. She remembered that straight black hair, hair that no one else in the Akatsuki had. And he was Akatsuki, of course, given from the long black robe with red, swirling clouds on it that he wore. Not to mention the Hidden Leaf Village hitai-ate that had the leaf in the middle crossed out with a deeply etched lined.

What on earth was he _doing _there?

She was determined to find out.

So she plastered her widest smile on her face and took a step forward. "I'm sorry, but you look awfully like a person I"—she paused and swallowed—"like a person I used to know."

He merely continued to look at her, his face showing absolutely no emotion.

Sakura's smile dimmed a little.

"I've never seen you around here before," she continued. "I'm Haruno Sakura. Do you need help getting around?"

The man's eyes narrowed almost unnoticeably. He remembered someone by that name, and he knew he had seen that pink hair somewhere before. "You called me Sasuke," he stated flatly. "Do you know him?"

It was Sakura's turn to be suspicious. "I _used_ to know him," she offered, not giving him any information that could benefit him.

He didn't tolerate that. "How so?" he asked, his voice smooth.

Then he took a step out of the shadows, and Sakura saw the Sharingan in his eyes.

A small flame of fury sparked within her. This was the man who had driven Sasuke crazy with revenge, who had made him go to Orochimaru for power. This was the man who had ruined Sasuke's life.

Sakura hated him. That was what she knew for sure.

She kept her gaze locked on his neck so as not to be caught by the Sharingan. "I used to be his teammate," she murmured.

Ah, Itachi thought, so this was Sasuke's old teammate. That also meant she was Uzumaki Naruto's teammate. Itachi had only come to remind the council members once again that Sasuke was not to be harmed, but now he saw an opening to claim what Akatsuki was after. The Kyuubi could easily be theirs with this girl's help.

"I actually do believe you could help me," Itachi said. "I am looking for Uzumaki Naruto. Do you know where he is?"

Sakura risked looking into his eyes and was relieved to find that although the Sharingan was still active, she didn't sense that he was using it on her.

She cleared her throat. "He's out on a mission at the moment," she lied. "But I can certainly tell him you were here. Who are you, may I ask?"

Her eyes were calculating, seeing if he would actually answer her.

He remained silent.

"Huh, you really are just like Sasuke…Uchiha Itachi," she spat out, her voice harsh. "Always quiet, observing and learning, only speaking when needed."

The S-class criminal didn't even seem surprised.

"You had better get out of here," she growled, the fury now evident, "before I scream and alert the whole village."

Suddenly he was behind her, two of his fingers pressed lightly against her neck. _He could easily break my neck with those two fingers_, she realized.

"And why would you do that?" His voice seemed to never change; it was always flat and unwavering.

Her teeth clenched together. _I need to get him away from my neck. Then I can see if there's an opening for an attack._

Sakura quickly dropped to the ground, and, spinning, she aimed a chakra-induced kick at his left leg. As she did so, she shrieked, "Because you hurt Sasuke!"

But Itachi wasn't there anymore.

The good thing was that it didn't surprise her. She knew he would be fast; after all, he was related to Sasuke.

As she spun she did a few quick hand seals and two more Sakuras appeared beside her. Together they charged Itachi, who was now in front of them.

He merely watched, knowing she wouldn't be able to touch him.

_I need to get him out of the village, _Sakura thought. _I can't risk the damage of my strength._

Using her arms as a sling shot, Sakura flung her clones at the unmoving enemy. The clones held up their kunai and stabbed Itachi in both of his arms. Even before "Itachi" blew up in a puff of smoke and a log took his place, Sakura knew it was a substitution: he wouldn't have let her clones get him so easily.

_All right, so where is he now?_

She didn't have time to figure that out. Now she needed to get away from the village, she needed to draw Itachi away.

Sakura and her clones sprinted toward the surrounding trees. She hoped that Itachi was following her, and not going after the villagers.

Just to make sure, she said something that would—hopefully—push his buttons. "You don't know how much Sasuke really hates you!" she called into the darkness. "He won't stop until he kills you and gets his revenge!"

She had reached the edge of the forest and saw a flash of black before Itachi was upon her.

He flew in from above and Sakura blocked his kunai with her own, the sound of clashing metal filling the air. She used the force of the contact to propel herself backwards in the air, her arms and legs spread out to keep her balanced as she skidded to a stop.

They were about twenty feet apart; she had her back to the village while he was facing it.

_Perfect, _she thought.

Then she focused her chakra to her hand and drove it straight into the ground.

Itachi didn't have the slightest warning. He had no idea why she would want to punch the floor, so the sight of the ground cracking and the trees falling was quite a shock to him.

He barely had time to jump in the air before getting caught in the aftermath, and even then the girl's two clones followed him from the stubble, a chakra scalpel flaring in each of their hands.

Itachi moved just in time to avoid being cut at his waist, but in the air even he couldn't react quick enough, and he hissed fiercely as one scalpel cut deep into his ankle.

After a few quick hand seals he landed and burst the clones to smoke with his _Katon: Gōkakyu no Jutsu._

Sakura stood, panting mildly—she was still suffering from the effects of the day's healing, but at least she had hit him.

She looked up at Itachi, a challenge in her gaze…and fell right into the Mangekyou Sharingan. Before she could get fully pulled in, she silently cursed herself for being so dumb.

The world he showed her using Tsukuyomi was nothing but black, white, and red. She stood against a tree—was strapped against it, more specifically—in the middle of a bleak, lifeless forest.

Suddenly a kunai came flying right at her…and she could do nothing to stop it. She barely let out a whimper, though, when it pierced her right in the stomach. Once that one hit, a barrage of others followed. They kept coming, piercing her all over.

To block out the pain she set her mind to the task of finding and showing her everything that had ever made her happy. Instantly a picture of Team 7 was thrown at her, but with the happiness came betrayal, and that led to pain…she could not let herself think of that right now.

Sakura instructed her mind to find more recent things, and she saw Naruto, Sai, and Kakashi smiling, waiting for her so that they could go eat some ramen. She inwardly laughed and ran to them, surrounded by the comfort of her teammates.

And that was how Sakura survived the Mangekyou Sharingan without feeling one ounce of pain.

Itachi did not know what to think of it. Even as the girl was being constantly hit by his kunai, she never once flinched nor cried out. She almost appeared to be asleep, so content her expression was.

Itachi racked his brain for more methods of torture, weeding out the physical ones…and then it came to him.

He changed the world that this pink-haired girl was trapped in, and instead placed her on a battlefield. Sitting back, he watched as she looked about with a confused expression.

Sakura saw two large groups of people rushing toward each other, and she was standing right in the middle. Both groups were yelling madly at the other, and when they finally met, the sound of ricocheting metal pounded through the air. The people passed through Sakura as if she were a ghost, and they didn't even seem to notice her.

Then a hitai-ate fell right at her feet. It was from the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

The body of Hatake Kakashi followed suit. His eyes were open and staring, lifeless; the Sharingan was a dull red.

Now Sakura screamed. She screamed when she saw Naruto running up, his Rasengan flaring, towards an oncoming Sasuke.

"_Stop it, Naruto_!" she cried as they met right in front of her. "_Sasuke, don't_!"

Naruto's fierce expression faded to one of complete astonishment when Sasuke's Chidori cut through his stomach.

Tears were running down Sakura's face in rivers. She couldn't help it. The tears only increased as Sasuke started laughing. As Naruto's dead body fell before him, he laughed.

Sasuke stopped his insane chuckling to turn towards her.

Sakura trembled at the sight of his curse seal spreading across his skin. The Sharingan spun wildly as he approached her.

"Sakura," Sasuke whispered. She tried to take a step back, but found that she couldn't.

"Sakura, why won't you save me?" he said in a pained voice. "Why did you let me become like this?"

Sakura shook her head, the tears flying. "I—I tried…Sasuke."

"Sakura, save me." He took another step forward.

Sakura's head snapped up. "No! Stay back! You're not real!" Determination filled her, determination not to be fooled by Itachi's games.

Meanwhile, an idea was forming in Itachi's mind; an idea that would help him immensely with his plans.

To see if that idea was actually possible, he allowed Sakura to move, and removed the curse seal from "Sasuke's" skin. "Sasuke" slumped to the ground.

Sakura couldn't help it. She caught her old teammate as he fell. "Sasuke?" He didn't seem to be conscious. Tears lined her eyes.

She screamed into the empty, blood-scented air, "_Why are you doing this to me_?"

Only his voice replied, "What if I told you that you could save Sasuke? Would you be willing to try?"

Sakura looked at Sasuke, who was in her arms. His eyes were closed and blood was on his face, but he seemed almost…peaceful. What if she could bring him back to Konoha?

"What are the conditions?" she called warily.

Itachi knew then that she would agree. By asking, she was curious. And coming from such a weak-willed girl like she seemed to be, he could easily persuade her further.

His plan became even more complex, yet somehow easier. Well, easier for him, at least.

"You would have to come with me," Itachi said.

Sakura took a deep breath and clutched Sasuke's body closer to her. Even if he wasn't real, she still took some comfort in his nearness. _You're pathetic_, she told herself.

Sakura tossed the idea around in her mind. Would she really leave her village to retrieve a missing-nin? But that was the problem. To her, he wasn't just a missing-nin.

So, would she risk trying to save him?

"I'll do it," she said, lifting her head up. Itachi was now before her, and they were back in the forest surrounding Konoha. Sasuke was no longer in her arms.

"Good." Itachi tilted his head to the village. "However, if you come with me, we will have to make it look as if you were kidnapped. That is, unless you want to be accounted for as a rogue?"

"No, no," she stuttered, barely believing what she was doing. Running off with an S-class criminal… "I have an idea so it'll look like I was abducted by you."

He looked at her, waiting for her to continue.

"I'll spike my chakra," she said, clearing her throat. "And then, when whoever comes gets here, we'll act like we're fighting. You can catch me, say a few convincing words, and we'll transport out of here."

Itachi didn't see anything wrong with that. "Go ahead, then."

Sakura flared her chakra noticeably, adding on a frightened edge that wasn't hard to come up with, considering the circumstance she was in.

Itachi came up behind her and held up his kunai. "Shall we?"

She turned around, trembling slightly, and they battled weakly until a fairly recognizable chakra signature came towards them.

The Hokage herself appeared from between the trees, saying in her rough voice, "Now, Sakura, what in the world could you possibly need me for at this hour…" Tsunade finally noticed that her student was locked in a battle with none other than Uchiha Itachi. She swore profusely.

Sakura did a very good job at looking scared—tears were clearly in her eyes, and her voice wavered—when she called, "Ts-Tsunade-sama!"

"Sakura, hang on!" the Hokage yelled, slitting her thumb and making a few quick hand seals. She was about to perform a summoning jutsu when Itachi grabbed Sakura from behind (none too kindly) and held his kunai against her throat.

"Do not make any moves or the girl dies," he stated calmly.

Sakura gulped. _Maybe this wasn't such a great idea…_

The Hokage instantly stopped, her eyes narrowed.

"Now, we are going to leave," Itachi continued, "and if I sense even the slightest bit that you or anyone else is following us, I will kill her."

"Listen to him, please, Tsunade-sama!" Sakura called, her voice choking. "I don't want you to get hurt!"

The Hokage snorted. "You honestly think that I would get hurt? Come on, have a little more faith in your Hokage!"

But even she grew wary. The Uchiha's eyes were unclear and merciless… She shivered inwardly. _Of all people for Sakura to be captured by, why him?_

Tsunade tried to flare her chakra to summon help, but Itachi pressed the blade deeper into Sakura's skin. Her student flinched.

"Don't even try it," Itachi warned.

And they disappeared in a ball of smoke.

"_Sakura_!" Tsunade yelled, but her student was already gone.

Just to make the moment less pressing, Tsunade swore again. Then she ran back to the village, grabbed Hatake Kakashi out of his bed, and dragged the half-asleep jonin to her office.

"You must've woken me up at this hour for something important," the lazy, silver-haired man drawled once they had gotten there. "What is it?"

The Hokage was pacing back and forth across her office, again cursing Shizune for hiding her sake. She glanced out the window, swore, and slammed her hands down on her desk.

"Sakura was kidnapped," she said roughly, and went back to her pacing.

Kakashi waited for the Hokage to continue, and, realizing that she wouldn't, asked slowly, "By who?"

The Hokage put her fist against the wall, her teeth gnashing together as she growled, "By Uchiha Itachi, that's who."

Kakashi sat up straighter.

Uchiha Itachi…had kidnapped Sakura?

"That's not good," he stated blandly. In his mind he was already out in the forest, tracking them. "Why didn't you stop him?"

Tsunade whipped around and glared savagely at him. "Because he already had a blade pressed to her neck and would've killed her had I come any closer!"

Kakashi stood up and stretched his arms out lazily, while inside he was nearly screaming. "Well, we might as well go after them, shouldn't we?"

"It's not that easy!" the Hokage burst out. "If we go after them and he senses us, then he'll kill her. But if we don't…"

"She's as good as dead," he pointed out, itching to get moving. "So why don't you assign me a team and we'll get Sakura back without letting him notice us?"

The Hokage rubbed her temples, muttering under her breath. "If I do assign you a team, you'll have to stay hidden," she instructed, her frantic pacing coming to an end as her leadership instincts took over. "And if you lose his trail, you are to report straight back to me. Do not try to keep going after them."

"Understood," Kakashi replied. "So who am I going with?" He already had a list in mind, but she was the Hokage, after all…

"Are you crazy?" she yelled. "_You_ know the shinobi better, _you_ know what you need to go against Itachi. Why are you asking me?"

That was why Kakashi liked the Hokage so much.

"All right, then," Kakashi said, pleased. "I'll take Inuzuka Kiba, Hyuuga Neji, Nara Shikamaru, and Uzumaki Naruto."

Tsunade looked at the jonin. "Naruto? Are you sure? He's not exactly the most noiseless person in the world."

Kakashi glanced back at her as he began to exit the room. "He'll be quiet if it helps get Sakura back."

The Hokage nodded.

Kakashi paused. "Are we to make this public?"

"Absolutely not," she replied, shaking her head. Kakashi raised an eyebrow.

Tsunade turned around and gazed out at the village below. "If we let the village know, too many people will want to go after her, and I'm not willing to risk so many lives."

The jonin nodded, and stepped out.

* * *

"Naruto! Naruto, get up; we have a mission."

The blonde grumbled and turned over in his bed.

Kakashi sighed. "Naruto, if you get up, I'll treat you at Ichiraku's for the rest of the week."

Naruto bolted upright, smiling from ear to ear. "What was that you said about a mission, Kakashi-sensei?" he asked, scratching his head.

Kakashi threw some clothes at his former student. "Hurry up and get dressed, Naruto. We need to leave in two minutes."

Naruto grew sober at the jonin's unusually harsh tone, but he got dressed quickly. "What's the matter, Kakashi-sensei? Did something happen?"

The silver-haired man glanced at him. "Sakura was kidnapped by Uchiha Itachi," he explained flatly.

Naruto froze.

"Wha-what did you just say, Kakashi-sen—" the blonde stuttered.

"I said, Sakura was kidnapped by Uchiha Itachi." Kakashi's voice was steadily rising. "And if we don't leave right now, we can already consider her gone."

Naruto forced himself to get up and walk out of the apartment. Below, Neji, Shikamaru, and Kiba were already waiting.

Kakashi followed behind him, and together they set off at a sprint through the forest, Kiba following the scent at the lead.

Kakashi looked at his former student, shaken a little by his silence. Then he noticed the flare of rage in the blonde's eyes, and he focused back on the path before him.

* * *

"So, where are we going?" Sakura questioned Itachi as they hopped from tree branch to tree branch.

"To the Earth Country, or at least somewhere close to it," he replied, scanning the area ahead of them.

"Why?"

Itachi wished she would be quiet. "Because we need to lead the Konoha-nin away, and I have a few connections so we can stay in a village near there."

She nodded.

Itachi noticed a large black form steadily growing closer to them. "Kisame, you're late," he stated.

The bulky man appeared from between the trees and fell in step with them. "I'm so very sorry, Itachi," Kisame said in his smooth, lilting voice. Then he noticed Sakura—who was staring at him with wide eyes—and inclined his head in her direction. "Who's the girl?"

Sakura stiffened.

Itachi sighed and said, with deliberate slowness, "She is my new apprentice."

* * *

Naruto was about ready to burst with anticipation. He could not wait to get his hands around that jerk's neck and squeeze the life out of him for kidnapping Sakura.

His hands started to tremble, but he tried to suppress his anger. In no way would it help get Sakura back.

"I'm sorry, guys, but we lost them," Kiba called from up ahead. They all stopped running. "Itachi must've used some sort of concealing jutsu, 'cause their scent just fell flat right here."

"_What_?" Naruto yelled. His whole body started to shake, and his vision blurred. "Can't Akamaru see through a concealing jutsu?"

Kiba checked with his large, fluffy companion, and the dog barked sadly. Kiba glanced up. "Not through one this strong."

Naruto turned to Neji. "What about you? Can't you sense them with your Byakugan?"

The Hyuuga merely shook his head. "They are far gone."

"Kakashi-sensei, what about your tracking dogs?"

The silver-haired man sighed. "Itachi knows about my dogs. He would especially be aware of them."

Naruto growled, and his body vibrated even more. Kakashi placed a hand on his former student's shoulder. Almost instantly the blonde calmed down, staring at the ground as if he were about to be reprimanded.

"Naruto, we'll get Sakura back," Kakashi said reassuringly. "You don't need to worry."

Naruto glanced up at his old sensei, his eyes wide with surprise. "How can you expect me _not_ to worry?"

Kakashi shook his head. "Honestly, I can't." He looked back at his team. They were all waiting patiently, ready to receive Kakashi's orders. Shikamaru nodded slightly in the jonin's direction. He knew what they had to do now.

Kakashi hated this. At that moment all he wanted to do was go after Itachi, and if even _he_ felt it that strongly, he could not imagine what Naruto was going through. The bond between a student and teacher were different than those of two teammates.

Kakashi wanted to go on, but he was not stupid. He couldn't risk so many lives for one person, even if that person was one he cared about. Uchiha Itachi was just too dangerous.

"All right, let's head back, then," the jonin ordered, not looking at Naruto. "We have a failed mission to report to the Hokage."

Naruto's mouth fell open. "But Kakashi-sensei, we _have_ to go after them! Are you really gonna let them get away?"

"I'm sorry, Naruto," Kakashi said blandly, "but it's just too risky. Besides, the Hokage specifically ordered that if we lost their trail, we were to report back to her."

"I don't care!" the blonde yelled. "We have to save Sakura-chan!" He took a step in the direction of the scent that they'd been following, as if to show that he would go against the Hokage's orders.

"Naruto, even you know that going on won't help at all. He would kill her if he sensed us," Kakashi said, his voice stern.

Naruto backed up, his teeth and hands clenched fiercely.

Kakashi really, truly hated this.

* * *

"I'm your what?" Sakura squeaked, her voice high-pitched with surprise.

Kisame himself was shocked, though he didn't show it. What could the Uchiha want with this weak, pink-haired girl?

"I will explain later," Itachi said. "For now, let's focus on getting away from the Hidden Leaf Village."

Sakura halted in her tracks, her eyes wild with fright. "No! I will absolutely _not_ be your apprentice—I'm going back." She headed off in the opposite direction at a sprint.

But Itachi had already beaten her to it. Silently he came up behind Sakura and knocked her out cold with a mere flick of his hand.

Kisame noted how Itachi caught the girl before she could fall. With any other person, he would have let them hit the ground out of amusement. In just that one simple move, Kisame realized that Itachi must have big plans for her.

"So what are you going to use her for?" Kisame asked once they got moving again; Itachi had Sakura in his arms.

"She will be the new vessel for the Fujin na Tora Seishin," Itachi explained mildly.

Kisame was taken aback. "What good is that old Spirit? Many of people have tried to draw on its power but it always refuses."

Itachi nodded vaguely. "It has gained the reputation of a weak Spirit, but that is because not many people know of its priorities. It is…kind, so to speak."

"Explain." Kisame was curious. They already had the Tigress Spirit sealed, but it had refused to let either Itachi or Kisame be its host. When asked why, it had responded that they were too selfish in wanting power—they would use it for their own good and no one else's, and so the Spirit wanted nothing to do with them.

"I challenged the girl a bit while using the Mangekyou Sharingan on her," Itachi said. "She didn't seem to mind when dozens of kunai were being thrown at her, but once I portrayed her loved ones being slaughtered, she acted like her world had just burned to pieces."

"So she's a soft one," Kisame mused.

"Exactly. And I think that her…rather compassionate nature will appeal to the Fujin na Tora Seishin, so she might be able to harness its power."

"But why do we need a vessel for the Spirit? The girl might rebel against us," Kisame pointed out.

The Uchiha had no obligation to share the full intentions of his plan. Instead he lied smoothly, "I do not know how long I will be able to keep the Spirit under control, so it would be better to get it a host and to train that host to use the Spirit's power under my command."

"Yes, but what if the girl rebels—"

"I will take care of that," Itachi cut in sharply. "You do not need to meddle with my plans."

Kisame glanced warily at the other man, but remained silent otherwise.

* * *

Kakashi and Naruto walked quietly into the Hokage's office, as if not to disturb the already impenetrable stillness of the room.

Tsunade stood looking out at the village. She didn't acknowledge their entrance; instead she murmured, "You didn't get her back, did you?"

"It was a failed mission," Kakashi agreed bleakly.

"No, the mission was not a failure," the Hokage argued, turning to face them with a stern expression. "As long as none of you continued to go after Sakura, you have done nothing wrong. And I take it none of your team did go after her, right, Kakashi?" She looked purposefully at Naruto.

"None of them did go after her…" Kakashi, too, looked at Naruto. "But one sure did try."

Naruto wasn't paying attention to either of the two. He continued to look at the ground, his fists clenched into tight balls and his eyebrows drawn together.

"Tsunade-sama…"

The Hokage's lips turned sideways in a smirk at hearing the blonde—for once—address her formally rather than as "-baachan."

"…you have to let me go after her!" Naruto growled. "I'll do anything it takes to get Sakura-chan back."

Tsunade was already shaking her head. "The consequences of going after her are severe, Naruto—"

"I'm strong enough to fight him, Tsunade-baachan," Naruto insisted forcefully. "You don't have to send anyone else."

"It would be suicide!" the Hokage shouted, her gold eyes flaring. "He's an S-class criminal, not to mention he always has his partner, Hoshigaki Kisame, with him. And if you think I would send the Kyuubi right into Akatsuki's hands, then you must be crazy."

Naruto was trembling so much that his form became blurry. "This isn't about me, this is about Sakura-chan—"

"What would happen if you got caught?" The Hokage was furious, though she knew she had no right to take it out on Naruto. "We would have lost Sakura and made the Akatsuki stronger at the same time."

"Naruto, she's right," Kakashi said calmly. "You just have to let it go."

Naruto couldn't believe what he was hearing. Didn't they understand? Didn't they realize that he had to go after Sakura, because if he couldn't get her back…then he would have lost both of his best friends. The two most important people in the world would be gone.

And he did not think he could live with that.

Having one gone was bad enough…but then again, he'd always had Sakura to make up for it. She might not have been able to make the pain fully go away, but she softened the blow immensely. She had always been there to comfort him and make him stronger. If he lost that…

Naruto backed away from the two people in front of him. Tears were freely flowing down his cheeks, although his expression was fierce. "You can't stop me from going. If it means going against your orders—"

"You'll be classified as a missing-nin the moment you walk out those gates," Tsunade stated bluntly. "I'll send my best shinobi to stop you and you'll be dragged back here and thrown in lockdown. Is that what you want? You would really go against your village and willingly be labeled a traitor?"

Naruto bent his head down in defeat. He watched as his tears fell and created their own little puddles of despair on the floor.

The Hokage slowly made her way to the blonde in front of her. She placed a hand on his shoulder, and he stiffened before meeting her steady gaze.

"I want to go after her just as bad as you do," she said softly. "But it's just too dangerous."

Naruto nodded slowly and turned to leave the room.

"Naruto?" the Hokage called.

He paused.

"Please don't make me have to secure you to keep you here. I trust you not to do something so rash."

Naruto merely nodded again and walked out.

* * *

Hyuuga Hinata was a light sleeper. She always had been, and she always would be. It fit her personality well, so she didn't really mind, though it was a little annoying at times. At least on missions she was always alert of the slightest sound that passed by.

This was one of those times where it was annoying.

Hinata bolted up in her bed and nervously looked around her room, startled by the sharp tapping sound. She stood up and padded lightly across the floor…and almost fainted with shock when she opened her window and saw Naruto sitting there.

He sat on one of the roofs of the lower buildings, tears rapidly making their way down his cheeks. His eyes were squinted at the edges, and his bottom lip trembled.

Hinata's stomach plummeted. "N-Naruto-kun!" she exclaimed. "What's w-wrong, Naruto-kun? D-did something h-happen?"

Naruto's crystalline blue eyes were full of regret and despair. More tears fell as he choked, "Hinata-chan, I…I'm sorry, Hinata-chan, it's just that—" He broke her gaze and bit his lip to quiet himself.

Hinata reached out—heat filling her cheeks at the close contact—and held Naruto against her. His arms wrapped around her small frame immediately and he clutched her to him in an inescapable grip.

Hinata wasn't sure how to react—she only knew that Naruto was in pain and that she needed to comfort him. So she slowly drew him into her room and sat with him on the bed. He continued to sob quietly, as if he didn't want her to see him like that.

"Naruto-kun, what happened?" she asked softly.

Naruto's face was buried in her neck, so his reply was incoherent.

"W-what was that?"

He pulled back and looked her in the eye, though his face was still crumbled with sorrow.

"Sakura-chan was kidnapped," he said, and buried his face back in her neck. Hinata felt his warm tears on her skin as she was shocked into silence.

Again, she didn't know what to say. She did, however, understand why he was so sad and frightened. Sakura was a person who always brought warmth to other people's lives, who always helped others and never asked for anything back. On top of that, she was strong and determined…just like Naruto.

Hinata considered the pink-haired kunoichi one of her best friends, so she was scared for her. Now she knew why Naruto was acting how he was. And she knew that it was better not to ask any of the questions she was dying to know the answers to.

Hinata clasped Naruto tighter, and they stayed like that until his sobs came to a stop altogether. His grip on her didn't change, and it was only when his breath became even that she, too, allowed herself to sleep.

In the morning of the next day, she was relieved to see him still next to her, his face peaceful in a bliss of ignorance.

* * *

Itachi and Kisame traveled quickly, their feet silently carrying them the long distance to the Earth Country. Though Itachi didn't show it, his ankle—the one Sakura had cut with her chakra scalpel—was throbbing immensely. It wasn't bleeding, but he guessed that the scalpel had slashed through his tendons and muscles.

Deep down, he was vaguely impressed. No one he had met had that high level of chakra control, and how she hid her clones in the aftermath of the punch showed she could come up with plans in battle quickly. On top of that, her use of the chakra scalpel must have come from years of medical training.

Itachi's lips thinned as another blast of pain shot through his eyes; he really shouldn't have worked his Sharingan so much. _Well, maybe she can heal them, _he thought, staring down at the lean girl in his arms. Her eyes were closed, but her eyebrows were drawn together as if she were in deep concentration.

_Hm. We will just have to see._

He pushed off of the next tree branch harder, his cloak billowing out behind him.

* * *

It wasn't long until the two Akatsuki members reached the border of the Earth Country. They had been traveling all night at a fast pace, and the sun was almost fully over the horizon now.

The pink-haired kunoichi still hadn't woken up, to Itachi's pleasure. It would be easier to do this if she were not conscious.

They skirted around a small, worn-down village and continued along side a short mountain range. Itachi's eyes roved across the hillside, searching for the hidden fissure where the Tigress Spirit was being held. He almost passed it, save for the steady pulse of chakra seeping out from a crack just below his chin.

He lightly touched his finger—shifting the girl onto his shoulder to do so—to the opening, and let the slightest amount of his chakra out. The chakra coming from it flared briefly—Itachi stepped back as the crack grew in size and widened just enough for him to fit through. A dark, large cave was now open to him.

Itachi glanced at the blue-skinned man beside him, who in turn grunted and moved to rest against the rocky hillside, keeping watch.

Itachi nodded, assured that nothing would disturb them, and walked into the near impervious shadows of the cave, his apprentice in his arms.


	3. Paths Taken

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto.

**Silent Sacrifice Chapter 2: Paths Taken**

* * *

Not even Itachi's Sharingan eyes could see what lay before him as he entered the narrow cave. He searched (Uchiha Itachi never fumbled for anything) inside his cloak for the match he had acquired earlier in the day and lit the object once it was found.

The light flared before him, twisting and dancing against the walls of the cave. Vines could now be seen; they crept up the cavern beside him, intertwined so that Itachi couldn't pick out where one ended and the other began. The dark green of their smooth skin was the only color among the grey ahead.

The ground was dotted with puddles of water; water warmed with the chakra that filled the tunnel.

_Splash._

He stepped in one and the sound echoed on for what seemed like eternity. Itachi continued on, trying to ignore the resonating sound that filled his ears.

_Whoosh._

A fast, chilling breeze came from behind him, sending his hair whipping onto his cheeks. He narrowed his eyes and walked faster as he tried to ignore the fact that it seemed as if the vines along the wall were moving, coiling to follow him.

"So, I don't suppose you came to let me go, did you?" a calm, soothing voice echoed.

Itachi paused. The last corner was now visible to him, and around that bend he heard something shift lazily over the light sound of flowing water.

"Come on, now, don't be shy," the voice purred. "I want to see what you've brought for me."

Itachi glanced at the girl he was holding - of course the Spirit must have sensed her. Then he took the last few steps and rounded the corner.

* * *

Naruto woke up and stretched, yawning loudly. He blinked and took in the room he was in.

"Hinata-chan?" he asked, remembering the night before. But the petite girl was nowhere to be found. Naruto shrugged and assumed that she was eating or something like that.

A sharp knock sounded at the door and Neji's voice called, "Hinata-sama, are you awake yet?"

Naruto winced. _Uh-oh…_

Another knock. "Hinata-sama?" Neji's voice was now as sharp as the knock, but Naruto could pick out the underlying worry.

Neji decided that something horrid must have happened to his cousin - since she never slept in this late - so he burst into the room only to find none other than Uzumaki Naruto crawling out of the window. Naruto's bottom half was already out of the room.

Neji's eye twitched. "What. Are. You. Doing?"

"Hey, Neji," Naruto said, smiling and rubbing his head. "How's it going -

"Ack!" Naruto suddenly found himself flying through the air, yelling the whole time before he plunged head-first into a small pond.

Neji slammed the window shut and continued to glare out at the village. He turned around just as Hinata came in the room, carrying a tray full of food.

"Naruto-kun, I m-made you some b-breakfast," she said, her eyes cast downward and her cheeks flushed.

Neji's eye twitched again.

When Hinata didn't get a response, she glanced up and almost dropped the tray she was holding. "N-Neji-san!"

"Do not let him in again," Neji instructed, and walked out of the room.

Hinata stood, frozen in place, before she heard loud splashes outside and a familiar voice yelling, "Let go of my leg, you stupid fish!"

She softly smiled to herself and headed downstairs to help her precious, blonde knuckle-head out of the koi pond.

* * *

The Fujin na Tora Seishin was curled up in the middle of a small rock, which was surrounded by a circular river of water. A waterfall poured said water into the river from a small ledge on the other side of the cavern. The river broke off from where it flowed around the rock, and continued on to Itachi's right.

"This boulder is not the most comfortable thing in the world," the Tigress Spirit sighed, shifting so her head rested on her massive paws, her eyes closed.

The Spirit was, after all, a tigress. Her dark, rust-colored coat gleamed from the golden light - not from the dying flame of Itachi's match - that encompassed her whole form, and every time she moved, her ink-black stripes seemed to shift and ripple into a different form. Her long tail swished back and forth from where it lay in the water.

Another breeze came from the tunnel, but this time it was warm as it passed by Itachi - swirling his dark hair - and flowed around the Tigress Spirit, ruffling her white mane. She sat up, eyes closed still, and sighed deeply.

"I am getting tired of this place," she said. "The wind keeps on taunting me of the outside world." She flexed her claws.

Then her eyes flashed open, and Itachi was met with two molten pools of emerald, pools that were shot through with genuine gold. "I see you have brought someone. Explain yourself."

Itachi placed the pink-haired girl on the smooth, chilly ground and said, "She will be your new host."

The Tigress Spirit glanced up from where she was cleaning her paw. "Oh, really?"

Itachi was suddenly blasted with the golden chakra that had surrounded the Spirit. It took the form of one of her paws and lashed out, too quick for even Itachi's Sharingan to follow. He found himself against the wall, pieces of stone breaking loose above him, sporting a large gash on his cheek.

He merely glared at where the Spirit sat, chuckling to herself. "I would advise you, Uchiha," she laughed, "not to order me around."

She quieted and sat staring at the unconscious girl on the floor. Then the Spirit leaped easily across the six-foot-wide river and padded over to her. Itachi's eyes narrowed once more. The Spirit shouldn't have been able to break his seals that were placed along the rim of the rock-island she had been kept on. He then remembered her tail swishing in the water…

_So, _he realized stoically_, she had broken through it before I arrived_. He was already shocked enough - though faintly - by that fact, so he didn't take into consideration that he should have felt when the seal was broken.

The Tigress Spirit, noticing the Uchiha's stare, murmured, "You didn't think I would be able to breach your seal, did you?" Her eyes flashed to him where he still stood, the wall crumbling around him from the force of her strike. "Let me tell you this, boy: knowledge is power. I have plenty of the former, and that means I have plenty of the latter. I knew the counteracting jutsu to your seal."

Itachi held her gaze without a word.

The Tigress Spirit looked away and sighed. She extended her paw to the kunoichi's face before her and gently nudged it, making sure her claws were retracted. The girl's eyebrows smoothed out and a small smile worked its way upon her mouth.

"You just had to knock her unconscious, didn't you?" the Spirit grumbled. "And all this time you wondered why I wouldn't let you be my host."

Itachi pushed gracefully off the wall and glided silently to the Spirit. Her size right then was about the same as an average tiger, but he knew - for she had cheerfully told him while he sealed her away - that this was only about one-hundredth of her original form.

"You want her to be my host, correct?" the Tigress said. Itachi gave her a look that meant "I just told you that, didn't I?"

The Spirit glared. "Do not look at me like that, boy, unless you want to be punched into next month."

"Hn." Itachi just shifted his gaze to the pink-haired kunoichi on the ground.

The Tigress turned to said kunoichi, her eyes softening. She leaned forward and pressed her nose to the girl's forehead, allowing her mind-entering abilities to come into play.

* * *

The group of chuunin - not counting Neji, who was a jonin, or Naruto, a genin - stood in the Hokage's office, silently waiting for her orders.

Ino had tears in her eyes, given from the fact that she now knew Sakura had been kidnapped. Tenten was also looking forlorn, though she hid it more. Hinata continued to gaze at the floor with a small frown on her lips.

Kiba, Chouji, Akamaru, Lee, Shikamaru, Shino, Neji and Naruto kept their gazes hard and determined (though Lee was more teary-eyed than the rest, and Neji kept on shooting withering glares at Naruto which the blonde failed to dodge).

"I have come to a decision," the Hokage stated, turning to the group. "You will continue to go after Sakura."

Naruto beamed and punched the air enthusiastically. "Yes! Tsunade-baachan, you're the best! Let's go now."

Tsunade glared. "Just wait a second, Naruto. Only several shinobi may go, and I have a feeling that I'm going to need you here."

"NANI?" Naruto yelled. "You mean I can't go?"

The Hokage nodded. "If I am going to send some of my best shinobi on a tracking mission, I need to keep one here in case of an emergency."

Naruto stuttered, "Bu-but why can't you keep Kiba here, or Lee, or Shika -"

"Naruto, I have had enough of your disrespectful blabber. I am the Hokage and what I say goes." She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest. "Ino, you will be going on the retrieval mission - if anything bad happens, your medical skills will be needed."

Ino wiped the tears from her eyes and straightened. "Yes, Tsunade-sama."

"Neji, you will be the captain of this mission, seeing as you are the highest in rank of the group and have dealt with situations similar to this."

Neji nodded, a grim expression on his face.

"Shikamaru, you will be second in command," Tsunade said. Shikamaru just sighed, his arms folded, and although he didn't say anything, he was - without a doubt from anyone present - thinking, _How troublesome._

"Tenten, Lee, and Shino, you will also be going." The Hokage looked up as someone knocked on the door. "Come in!"

Kankuro of the Hidden Sand Village walked in and grinned at everyone. "Hey, guys, how's it going?"

It was silent, and then Ino sniffled.

Kankuro frowned. "Why the long faces?"

Tsunade cleared her throat, ending the awkward moment. "Thank you for coming, Kankuro. Your help will be greatly appreciated."

"Hey, well, Gaara only sends the best for you, Hokage-sama," the Sand-nin said, rubbing the back of his head and smiling.

Naruto rolled his eyes, and because he was in such a bad mood, he muttered, "Arrogant Sand ninja wannabe."

Kankuro turned to the blonde and held up his fist. "You wanna say that to my face, demon punk?"

Naruto popped out of his chair. "Don't insult me just because I'm stronger than you!"

"I beg your pardon, but the last time I checked I was a chuunin!" Kankuro growled back. "What are you, again? Oh, that's right! You're still a weak little genin!"

"All right, you know what, let's go RIGHT NOW! You and me, OUTSIDE!"

"Both of you, calm down!" Tsunade yelled. "I won't have you fighting when Sakura is in danger."

They both sobered at that; Naruto sunk back into his seat and crossed his arms, while Kankuro huffed and turned to the Hokage once again. "So what happened?"

"My apprentice, Haruno Sakura, was kidnapped by Uchiha Itachi, and I need you for the retrieval mission."

Kankuro nodded. "Yeah, I remember her. She was the one that healed me from Sasori's poison, right?"

"Right." The Hokage's expression grew remorseful before she shook her head and looked around at each person. "Mitarashi Anko will also be joining you - she is waiting now at the front gate and will explain the details of the mission. You are dismissed."

They filed out one by one, leaving a wake of silence.

Tsunade glanced at the four remaining - Kiba, Choji, Hinata, and Naruto (and Akamaru, of course). "Naruto, I know you wanted to go save Sakura…"

Naruto clenched his fists and looked away, seething.

"But I need you - all of you - for another mission."

The blonde looked up, surprised. "What mission is that?"

Tsunade sighed. "This has gone too far - Uchiha Itachi has done too much damage to this village, and I think it's about time we end the chaos."

The three chuunin - and Naruto - waited expectantly. Naruto was about to burst out of his chair.

"Your mission…is to kill him."

* * *

Itachi watched with mild interest as the Tigress Spirit delved into the pink-haired girl's mind. She had done the same thing to himself - but his inspection hadn't taken nearly as long as this one now.

About five minutes had passed already. The Spirit's nose was still touching the Sakura's forehead, and her rust-colored body hunched over the girl's protectively.

The time the Spirit had explored Itachi's mind was a very memorable event - to him, at least. He'd had to enter the circle the Spirit had been sealed in, and lay down flat on his back so she could reach his head comfortably. He had objected to it at first, but it was the only way to see if he could be her host.

Itachi hated the feeling of his mind being searched by another; it was an intrusion, and there were so many secrets he didn't want to be found…

He could feel the Spirit's curiosity towards him, her surprise - which eventually turned to disgust - after learning that he had murdered his whole clan. It wasn't until she realized the reason behind the massacre that she began to sympathize with the Uchiha - and he could feel that sympathy as if it were tangible.

Itachi's mind - his whole life - had been open to the Fujin na Tora Seishin in those few moments. She saw everything, and he had to experience it with her. He'd had to watch his blade cut through his family's throats again…just like they had that cursed night.

Everything he had buried and locked away had come loose for her to see. That was the only time since the massacre that he had felt so vulnerable. Deep down, it frightened him.

When it was finally over with, he had shot straight up and leaped across the river before the Spirit could touch him again. He had stared at her levelly, refusing to show any of the emotions he'd felt. Because if he did…he would lose any sense of calmness he had come to know over the years.

The Tigress had just sighed and shaken her head, looking at him with that unwanted sympathy in her emerald eyes. "Tell me, Itachi," she'd murmured. "What would you use my power for? Why do you want to be my host? I already know the answer, of course, but I need to hear you say it to finalize my decision."

He had stiffened and held her gaze, when inside, all he wanted to do was disappear. "I am a shinobi, a ninja. What more do we train for rather than to become stronger? You would just be an easier path to that goal."

"And that is the reason why I must refuse your…demand," she had sighed. "Unless you can prove that you will use my power for something other than yourself, my answer is no. The same goes for your friend out there - Kisame, is it? I can sense his…negative ways."

Itachi's lips had thinned in barely hidden fury, and his Sharingan had twirled dangerously, before he'd spun on his feet and walked towards the tunnel.

But before he could get there, the Tigress called to him. "Itachi?"

He'd paused, one foot hovering over the ground for his next step. The question hung heavily around him.

"…continue on with your plans."

He had whipped around, about to claim that no one ordered Uchiha Itachi around, but the Tigress Spirit was curled up into a tight ball, fast asleep.

Presently, as the Spirit connected with the girl's mind, Itachi remembered his moment of weakness.

He vowed never to let it happen again.

* * *

Naruto's jaw fell open dramatically before he exclaimed, "You want us to _kill_ Itachi?"

"Do you have a problem with that?" Tsunade questioned, her eyebrow raised. "I thought you would be overjoyed."

"Well…" Naruto looked down and fidgeted. "It's just that it's always been Sasuke's dream to kill him, and I don't want to take it away…"

"Naruto, this is a highly dangerous Akatsuki member who needs to be taken down," the Hokage pointed out. "He murdered his whole clan, for crying out loud! On top of that, he's part of the organization sent out to gain control of the Nine Tailed Fox, taking your life along the way. Don't you think we should eliminate him while we have the chance?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Naruto whispered. He closed he eyes and then reopened them, brand new determination shining vigorously. "Okay, I'm ready! Let's go!"

"Wait, your team captain still hasn't arrived yet," Tsunade grumbled. "I am going to beat him to a pulp for being late -"

"Hey, hey, there's really no need for that, Tsunade," a familiar voice drawled. Suddenly no other than Jiraiya the Toad Master appeared behind the Hokage, his arms characteristically folded on his chest. "After all, you almost killed me once. Isn't that enough?"

"Ero-Sennin!" Naruto exclaimed. "You're our captain?"

"I told you not to call me that!" Jiraiya snapped. Then he sighed and unfolded his arms. "Unfortunately, yes. Tsunade here thinks I'm the only one capable of helping you deal with the Uchiha brat. This is a serious mission, so it calls for the elite to accomplish."

Naruto grumbled something along the lines of "You'll probably be off doing 'research' half the time."

A vein popped out on Jiraiya's forehead as he turned to Naruto. "My research contributes greatly to society, I'll have you know."

"Yeah, in the form of porn books!" Naruto countered.

Jiraiya gasped like he couldn't believe what he had just heard. "Do not even try to disgrace my works, you worthless piece of -"

"Sorry I'm late," Kakashi said with no hint of real apology as he walked in, the aforementioned orange porn book in his hands. "I suppose I got lost on the path of li -"

"Oh, shut it, Kakashi-sensei! That lame excuse is getting _old_," Naruto yelled.

Kakashi's visible eye crinkled into a smile. "But it's true."

"Whatever," Naruto muttered.

Tsunade rubbed at her temples and shook her head, then reached under her desk and took a swig of sake. "I swear, all of you egotistical men will be the end of me."

Jiraiya turned to pat her head, but was shot back with a deathly glare from the Hokage. "That's what we aim for, honey," Jiraiya said, winking. Tsunade glared even harder and swallowed more sake.

"Enough fooling around," the Hokage said, demanding attention. "Kakashi, this mission basically depends on you for success. Without your Sharingan to rival Itachi's, I would not have sent any of you."

She looked them each in the eye. "You all have unique abilities that will increase the success rate of the mission. I am counting on you."

They nodded in sync.

"All right, now here are the details…"

* * *

Sakura was floating in darkness; that really was the only was to describe it. She drifted lazily amidst the black, not really thinking of anything. That is, until she was forcefully yanked back into awareness.

She ended up in the middle of a wide, bright green forest. The air was damp and heavy, as if it had just rained. The forest was alive with plants and flowers of all kinds; vines draped from above and clung to moss-covered trees. The sun shined in from between the leaves, its golden light creating patterns on the forest floor. To Sakura, the whole scene was mesmerizing.

She breathed in the strong floral scents, and was thoroughly surprised when she didn't recognize any of them. Birds chirped all around - their music wove together and flowed so perfectly it was almost like a symphony.

_Where am I? _Sakura thought, still in shock.

"This is a little place I like to call Paradise," a rough (though at the same time smooth) voice answered.

Sakura whipped around and was met with two emerald eyes staring back at her amusingly. She had never seen such eyes; in the middle, surrounding the pupil, the green was replaced with pure gold that flared out like the sun.

They were the eyes of a tiger.

Sakura warily took a step back from the tiger before her, her hands coming up protectively. "D-did you just talk?"

The tiger stretched on the branch it was on, about five feet from the ground. "Is it really that astonishing?" the animal questioned, tilting its head to the side. "From what I've witnessed of your thoughts, your sensei has a talking summoning dog, and your friend Naruto's master has talking frogs."

"How did you know that?" Sakura demanded.

"I read through your thoughts, your memories. It was the only way to know." The tiger jumped down from its branch and walked over to her. Sakura backed up, but stopped when she pressed against a tree.

"The only way to know what?"

The tiger chuckled, a light purring sound. "To know if you could be my host."

Sakura shook her head helplessly. "I don't understand."

The tiger sighed, coming closer until it was a foot away from Sakura. "I wouldn't expect you to. Of course Itachi wouldn't explain anything to you." The tiger peered up at Sakura. "You see, I am the Fujin na Tora Seishin. You have probably never heard of me." She continued on at a shake of Sakura's head, "I was created long before the Nine Tailed Beasts roamed the earth. In fact, I lived when the Jubi, or Ten-Tails, was still around. But I kept to the shadows while the Jubi terrorized everyone and destroyed anything it could get its hands on. Not many people knew about me, and many still don't. The Jubi was driven by hatred, while I was and still am driven by peace. My peace and your love for your friends are basically the same - we want nothing more than to see others happy."

The Tigress stood on her hind legs and placed her paws on Sakura's shoulders, studying the girl's face. "The Rikudo Sennin knew about me. He knew I wanted nothing more than to help get rid of the Jubi. But the Jubi and I were equals in battle - if we had fought, we would have killed each other. The Rikudo Sennin was stronger than both of us, so once he defeated the Tailed Beast, he had me seal it into him."

Sakura stared wide-eyed at the Tigress, whose face was no more than two inches from her own. All that information was staggering to take in at once.

"And here I was, hundreds of years later, known by few and enjoying my time before that damn Uchiha came and sealed me away." The Spirit jumped down and chuckled, shaking her head wearily. "I could have killed him easily, but truth be told I was curious as to why he would want me. Turned out it was for selfish reasons, not that it surprised me much."

"Y-you're talking about Itachi?" Sakura stuttered, her mind barely working.

The Tigress yawned and nodded before she turned and rested on the tree branch again. "I refused him his desire to be my host, of course. I pretended to be sealed, just out of boredom and having nothing else to do. That is…until he brought you here."

Sakura stiffened. "He brought me?"

"Yep, you in all of your unconscious glory. Actually, you have the most interesting mind and memories." The Tigress opened an eye to stare at Sakura. "What a small world, that Itachi's younger brother used to be your teammate…and is still your love interest?"

Sakura gulped, looking at the ground. "Not anymore…Sasuke has changed! He would kill Naruto and I if he got the chance."

"And yet you still love him?"

"No, I…I don't know." Sakura clenched her fists and glared at the Tigress before her. "Why do you care? What do you want from me anyway?"

The Spirit's eyes became tender as she looked at Sakura. "You are so young, still a kit, and yet you have seen so much…What has become of this world? I regret having kept to myself for so long. Maybe I could've helped bring peace." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before opening them. "Now is my chance, I guess. Haruno Sakura, I want you to be my new host."

Sakura couldn't believe what she had just heard. "Me? You want _me_ of all people?"

The Spirit nodded, seriousness written all over her. "As I said before, you and I have the same goals. And my body cannot function well kept in the open - I am too old and need a host to channel my powers through. You would be perfect for that."

Sakura crossed her arms. "And that's all I would be? Just a body for you to use?"

The Tigress's eyes widened. "No, not at all, child! You misunderstand my intentions. I also plan to help you become stronger."

"How so?" Sakura was now interested.

"You, child, have plenty of potential, but I could see in your mind that you have not risen fully to it. Your Hokage, Tsunade, helped immensely, as did your sensei, though you may not have realized it. Your talents can be improved and expanded upon greatly still. You may think of yourself as weak, when really all you need is a little push."

Sakura turned her gaze to the canopy above, contemplating. This was all so much… "Why did Itachi bring me to you?"

"He believes you can stop his little brother from destroying everything he loves."

"_What_?" Sakura asked, her jaw hanging open.

The Tigress's ears flipped down and back, and it almost looked as if she were smiling. "I will let him be the one to explain his plans to you. The more urgent matter is whether or not you will be my host."

"You mean…I get to choose? You won't force me?"

"How happy would you be if I forced you?"

Sakura thought about this. "…not very."

The Spirit nodded. "Exactly. I wanted to leave the decision to you. If you don't accept…I guess I'll have to find another willing host."

_If I become strong enough, I can bring Sasuke back, _Sakura thought, her eyebrows furrowed. _This might be the only chance I get. I think I can trust the Tigress…I hope I can. With her, I can run away from Itachi and go back to Konoha and train, maybe learn some new jutsu._

"Sakura?"

She glanced up from her thoughts and looked at the Tigress expectantly.

"I think…it would be good to stay with Itachi."

Sakura took a step backwards. "W-why would I do that when I could go back to Konoha?"

The Spirit met her gaze steadily. "He can teach you more than anyone back in your home could. His plans involve saving Sasuke, just as yours do."

"But he murdered his whole clan!" Sakura yelled. "He ruined Sasuke's life and twisted him into a monster. How can Itachi possibly want to help Sasuke?"

"I told you that I would let him explain it to you," the Spirit replied. "Now back to the current matter - will you be my host or not?"

Sakura blinked at the abrupt change in topic, still burning with curiosity, but then a voice spoke in her head.

_Just think: by getting stronger you will be of more help to Konoha, _the voice whispered. _No more weak little kunoichi who can't defend herself and always depends on others to save her. And on top of that, you can save Sasuke. It's what you've always wanted._

_But how do you know you can trust her?_ another, colder voice countered. _She read your thoughts, invaded your memories without your permission. She just wants to use you. You don't know what you're getting yourself into._

Sakura recognized that voice. It was the one that told her she weak and that she couldn't change who she was. It was the voice who had sneered at her when she cried the night Sasuke left. That was the same voice that laughed when her friends got hurt.

Sakura completely ignored that voice and said, "I agree to be your new host."

The Tigress Spirit leaped to the ground, her eyes shining. "Good. Then we should get back to reality to begin the sealing."

Sakura grew nervous suddenly. _Sakura, you made this decision, now follow through with it and don't back down!_ her Inner Self yelled enthusiastically.

So she nodded her head slowly and said, "All right, I'm ready, Tigress."

"Bah, don't call me that!" the Spirit growled. "It sounds so formal, and after all, we won't be just host and spirit, but rather student and teacher, ne?"

"Right." Sakura nodded. "What should I address you as, then?"

The Spirit's eyes grinned for her. "You may call me Desunei."

* * *

**A/N: **Hey guys! Thank you SO much for the reviews. Every time I read them I get more determined to write just to make you happy. I really hope you all like my story so far, and if you have any questions, just tell me and I'll be sure to answer.

I probably won't update for another couple of weeks or so - no definite date because there is no telling what will come up.

So please keep on reviewing (you guys really are my inspiration) and if I have made any mistakes or will in the future, constructive criticism is good!

Well then, I'd better get going. I have a lot more writing to do. This part of the story is just the beginning.


	4. Flight from the Known

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto.

**Silent Sacrifice Chapter 3: Flight from the Known**

* * *

Sakura screamed. She could not take it anymore - the pain was just too unbearable. Her head felt like it was being squeezed and compressed until her brain was no longer functioning. Her body trembled furiously, and she was so cold…

"Sakura, please calm down," someone purred soothingly. "I know it hurts, but it will be over soon, I promise."

The pink-haired kunoichi whipped her head from side to side, and she reached up to clutch her head.

Desunei sat in the small rock island with Sakura (who lay curled upon herself on the floor), wincing as another shudder worked its way through the girl's body. "Itachi, hurry up, will you?" she growled at the man kneeling on the other side of the river. "Her body won't be able to take the strain of my chakra much longer. You need to seal it within her quickly."

Itachi finished the last few marks of the seals on his hands and leaped across the river, his palms forward. Desunei drew his gaze to the girl below her, thrashing wildly. Only the Tigress's paw on her forehead kept her from moving too far. "The seals are ready," Itachi said flatly. "What now?" He hated being the one who needed answers.

"Place your left hand on her forehead and the other on mine," Desunei explained. Sakura's mouth opened, her eyes squeezed shut, and she silently wailed.

Itachi knelt down and extended one hand to Sakura's face, the other coming to rest on the space above the Tigress's eyes. Her fur was soft and long, and Desunei's ears flicked back at the contact. "Now, as soon as I move my paw, you are to put your hand on her forehead. Do not hesitate, or the chakra I have stored within her will begin to come loose. After that…well, just try not to move, okay?"

Itachi glanced at her with his eyes slit suspiciously, his hair falling into his face. However, he didn't ask any questions, knowing that once this was over, his plan could finally begin to unravel.

"One, two…now!" Desunei pulled her paw away from Sakura's forehead and Itachi had his in its place in the blink of an eye. "Good," the Spirit breathed, and her eyes closed in concentration. "Remember, whatever you do, don't move your hands. It could prove fatal to Sakura."

Itachi noticed how the pink-haired kunoichi's body relaxed and her arms fell limp on either side of her head. A glowing green chakra started flowing around the Uchiha's hand, and Itachi recognized it at Sakura's. On his right hand, the same green chakra began forming, though this one was tinted in the middle with gold…just like the Tigress's eyes. The Spirit's chakra started to creep up Itachi's arm, and a stinging sensation shot through him. It was not exactly unpleasant, however…it did feel rather intrusive. Her chakra slid over his own just below the surface of his skin, not as subtle as water…but more pressing. It made him want to draw back from the feeling.

Well, now he knew why she had told him not to move.

The sensation grew in pressure as the Tigress's chakra crept up his neck, and now it was becoming something acute to pain. By the time it reached his left arm and entered Sakura's skin through the seal on his hand, he wished he hadn't agreed to this.

Another pulse shot through his arm, like an oncoming wave, and he winced inwardly at the foreign chakra so close to him. He so desperately wanted to fight it off, but the rational part of his mind - the more dominant part - told him that is was this, or Konoha would be destroyed.

So he narrowed his eyes and tried to ignore the fact that he could sense just how powerful Desunei was through her chakra alone - and that meant her chakra wasn't her only strength.

* * *

Uchiha Sasuke woke up to the sound of dripping water.

The corner of his mouth tilted downward, and he lifted his hand to brush a drop from his cheek. It seemed as if he would have to move his bed again, although by now practically the whole ceiling was leaking. He supposed it would be better just to demand Orochimaru to give him a different room. More specifically, one that was not carved out of stone and actually had windows.

Sasuke's hand froze in the act of running through his hair, and the Sharingan activated itself immediately.

Someone else was in the room.

Sasuke flashed upright in his bed, a kunai already poised in his hand, and was met with…a small cat sitting on his bed before him. Her head tilted to the side, and an amused sparkle swam in her green-gold eyes.

Sasuke gazed warily at it, and, sensing that it was, indeed, just a cat (not something out to kill him), he replaced his kunai under the pillow. The cat continued to stare at him, her ears tilted forward in curiosity.

The Uchiha sat with his hands limp in his lap, staring right back at it.

How could the thing have gotten into his room? The door was locked, and he was sure Orochimaru didn't have any pet cats. It must be a stray.

Sasuke had just decided to kill the thing…when it spoke.

"You look just like him, you know?" the cat whispered.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. If it could talk, then it must be a summoning…he had to get rid of it quickly.

"Oh, don't worry, child, I'm not here to harm you," the cat continued, her tail flicking from side to side on his bed. "I was just rather…curious about you."

The Uchiha remained silent, though his hand itched toward the kusanagi blade at his waist. He had come to learn that no one was to be trusted, and this animal was no exception. "What are you?" he asked flatly.

The cat lifted to her paws and crept towards him, her copper pelt rippling in the low light. She didn't seem to be listening to him, but rather sat down a mere foot away and breathed, "I swear, if it weren't for the age difference, hair style, and maybe a slight facial structure contrast, you and Itachi could be twins."

Sasuke's whole body tensed at that, and he snapped, "Do not even try to compare me to him."

The cat shook her head, blinking slowly. "I knew Sakura's memories - or your brother's, for that matter - would not prove to be false, but I just had to see for myself."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes further. "What are you talking about?" he growled.

The cat peered up at him inquisitively. "I am sorry if I'm confusing you, child. I had not meant to wake you…but seeing as you are Itachi's brother, you are bound to be a highly aware and skilled ninja" - the cat paused, and her upper lip pulled back to reveal pointed fangs - "even if you abandoned your village and threw away any chance of redemption."

Sasuke froze, but the cat could feel fury seeping out from under the stoic demeanor he constantly wore. His mouth thinned into a slender line, the three tomoe spun freely in his Sharingan eyes, and his eyelids lowered. "What makes you think," he whispered calmly, "that you have any right to judge my actions?"

The cat before him hissed and raised a paw, as if to swipe it across his cheek. Then her ears - which had come to be flat against her skull - returned upright, and she lowered her paw. "The only reason I did not draw blood right there," she growled, her voice deepening and growing more abrasive, "was because you would only respond in an act to kill me. I had wished that any conversation I had with you would be rational and composed, but seeing who you are, that seems to be impossible." The cat licked her paw and drew it across her ears, sighing. "Itachi certainly is easier to be around than you are, although I would never have thought anyone could surpass him in annoying me."

"Why do you speak of him," Sasuke said, his teeth clenched, "as if you know him?"

The cat tilted her head to the side once again. "I do know him, as a matter of fact." She purposefully let the sentence hanging, just so he would have to speak to get more information.

"…how?" The word was ground out.

"You know, for being rude to me earlier, I don't think I'm going to answer you," the cat stated, her nose high in the air.

"Where is he?" Sasuke could feel the anger boiling up inside of him, just waiting to be released. The first few black designs of the curse mark made themselves apparent on his skin.

The cat's eyes narrowed. "You have some major issues," she informed him. "I hope you realize that."

Sasuke snapped. In less than a second he pinned the cat against a wall, around her throat, forcing her jaw upward so that his kusanagi sword pressed threateningly on her neck. Her multi-colored orbs widened, and her ears twitched. "Tell me where Itachi is," Sasuke ordered, his voice frighteningly flat and emotionless, "or you will die."

Something akin to sadness entered the cat's eyes; she breathed out wearily, and then met his unwavering red gaze. "How far have you fallen," she murmured, "to become like this?" The cat's voice, to Sasuke's ears, became sluggish and distant. Her form in front of him began to blur, and in an act of suspicion, he pressed his blade against her neck even harder. "I just hope" - the words grew faint to his ears, even as he became aware of a darkness in his peripheral vision - "that when the time comes" - the last thing he saw before he was consumed in black was a pair of watchful, green-gold eyes - "you" - he was fading, her voice the only tie to reality - "will" - a flash of yellow passed before him - "be" - silence reigned for a heartbeat before the voice - her voice - whispered softly, "saved."

* * *

_'How do you feel?' _Desunei asked. Sakura rolled onto her side and felt at the burning sensation now located on her forehead.

_Well, _she decided, _I've certainly had worse than this_. It was odd how Desunei was now able to communicate with her through her mind, and she was able to respond in the same way. _The seal hurts, though, and so do my cheeks._

Sakura felt rather than saw the Tigress nod from where she rested in her mind. '_As to be expected, child. With my presence, your skin now bears my marks.'_

…_what do you mean?_

Desunei "grinned" (again, Sakura felt rather than saw the action). _'Look at your reflection and see for yourself.'_

So Sakura finally cracked her eyes open and hoisted her body upward, swaying a little. She shook her head to clear the blurriness behind her eyes, and then glanced around at the cave she was in.

Itachi stood against a wall on the other side of the river, his red orbs locked upon her form. His gaze traveled upward and studied her face, his eyes narrowing slightly. Sakura warily looked back at the Uchiha, and their eyes met.

His lips parted in surprise, and she averted her gaze, biting the inside of her mouth. Shock filled her when she felt something cut deep into her cheek.

Ever so slowly, Sakura opened her mouth and ran a finger across her teeth. Across the river, Itachi took a step back, Sharingan orbs growing wider still. It was the most reaction she had seen in him yet.

Then Sakura smiled: she had fangs.

_'Eventually, you will learn to retract them,' _Desunei explained. _'But for now, it is quite entertaining to see the great Uchiha Itachi so unsettled.' _Her voice was full of humor.

Finally, Sakura leaned over the river…and found startling green eyes shot through with gold staring back at her. Her reflection's eyes widened. _My eye color changed?_

_'Another side effect,' _the Tigress said. _'Fortunately the color will fade as the day progresses.'_

Sakura blinked, and her gaze was drawn to the new designs all over her skin. Long gold lines - the same gold as in her eyes - weaved all down her arms and legs, curving gracefully and weaving with one another like vines, until they reached her neck, the pointed edges coming to circle around her jaw line. They shined with a metallic, eerie light.

Sakura also noted that in the outside corner of each of her eyes, two slightly curved, wide, golden lines made their way down her face. The outside lines were shorter than the inner lines; they faintly resembled claw marks.

Her breath caught in her throat. The designs were so exotic, so beautiful and unique, that she felt unworthy to be a host to them.

_'Yes, they are quite something, aren't they?' _Desunei commented softly. _'They are the results of my chakra still racing around inside of you - once it settles down, the marks will retract into the seal on your forehead. Only the designs on your face will remain.'_

Sakura brushed her hand across the Tigress's seal on her forehead; the same color as the streaks on her skin, it looked like a tilted square - not elongated like a diamond - with arched spikes coming out of the four vertical lines.

So simple, yet it held an endless amount of power within her.

Sakura placed herself upright on the rock and willed chakra into her hand. Mesmerized, she observed its new golden tint as it flared and danced in her palm. _Your chakra is so exquisite, Desunei, _she thought admiringly.

_'Child, whatever is mine is yours too, now. Yes, and I agree that _your_ chakra is quite magnificent.'_

_My chakra_… Sakura smiled, and because she took so much delight in the fact that now she would be able to actually make a difference, she began laughing.

Itachi only continued to watch his new apprentice; he felt the power radiating off her, the pure and controlled strength she now harbored. Her fangs glinted from the chakra flickering on the designs residing on her skin, and her now-multicolored eyes shimmered with exhilaration. It was all the Uchiha could do not to picture ears on top of her head.

He stepped forward and announced, "We need to get going."

Sakura halted her light chuckles and gave him a curious look that Itachi thought looked far too much like Desunei's.

The Fujin na Tora Seishin host sighed. "Yes, Itachi-sama." Her voice did not seem hindered by her newly obtained fangs.

The Uchiha paused from where he had begun to walk, and glanced back at the pink-haired kunoichi. Behind him (he hadn't even noticed her jump lightly across the river), she twisted her hands this way and that, entranced by the chakra that had formed there. She didn't even seem to notice the honorific suffix she had unconsciously tacked onto his name.

Itachi's lips twisted into a small frown, and then he continued down the winding, black tunnel. Warmth encompassed the passage, and the only light given was the flaring green-gold of Sakura's chakra.

Back in the open, the sun had risen fully and now glared from above, pouring down unwanted heat. Kisame - who had nearly fallen asleep resting against the cliff face - blinked a few times and then straightened upon Itachi and Sakura's appearance from the tunnel.

"I assume the sealing went well?" he asked, eyes scanning over the new cut on Itachi's cheek and Sakura's golden marks.

The kunoichi's eyes flicked over to Kisame and then to Itachi, who was staring at her with that unwavering intensity in his gaze. She offered him a small smile, but the Uchiha just blinked and turned away from her. "Everything went as planned," Itachi stated in his usual monotone. "For now, we will continue to the village and see what happens." That said, he turned and began making his way through the tall boulders ahead.

"Itachi-sama?" Sakura paused, brows furrowed when she realized what she had just called him, but then she looked up and continued, "Please, let me heal you."

The Uchiha gracefully raised an eyebrow, and, after a moment's hesitation, silently sat on a rock. Sakura grinned and knelt down before him, taking his ankle - which she had sliced through with her chakra scalpel the night before - into her lap. She pressed her glowing, newly-colored chakra to the internal wound, and began to heal it.

Only a portion of muscle tendon had actually been damaged, but it was a deep enough cut that it took Sakura longer than usual to weave back together (her Inner Self was punching the air at the fact that she had placed such a wound on an Akatsuki member). Once she was done with that, she moved to Itachi's face.

"What happened here?" Sakura questioned as her hand hovered over the gash on his cheek.

Itachi's eyes had gradually drifted closed so that only mere slits were visible, and his shoulders had relaxed. Languidly, his dark eyelashes moved from where they rested on his cheeks and he peered up at the medic with veiled, obsidian eyes.

His Sharingan, for the first time Sakura had seen, was not active.

She studied his black orbs as the cut continued healing. They were murky and dimmed, almost as if they were dark stones that hadn't been polished in years.

"Desunei was angry," he breathed quietly, and his eyes fluttered shut.

Sakura chuckled a little at that.

Then her focus returned to the task beforehand, and, curious, she probed at the organs which gave Itachi sight with her chakra…and almost gasped at what she found.

Blindness loomed over the Uchiha like a plague.

Sakura felt her mouth open in astonishment and looked up to see Itachi pulling away from her. She was saddened to notice that his eyes had taken on the crimson of the Sharingan once again, and his poise had stiffened with wariness.

His moment of ease vanished, just like that.

Without a pause, Itachi whirled on his heels and disappeared into the sparse expanse of trees ahead. Kisame glanced at the pink-haired kunoichi before following him.

Desunei, surprisingly enough, had nothing to say.

Sakura's mouth hardened along with her gaze, and she continued after them.

* * *

Sasuke cracked his eyes open - when had they closed? - to find himself in a world of white.

There did not seem to be any light source, yet every blank space was illuminated and sparkling. There weren't any clouds, not a single plant in sight. Snow, however, fell from above in torrents, swirling around and whipping past Sasuke's cheeks. The wind that carried the flakes was strangely warm, although it stung icily when the snow touched his skin.

Sasuke cocked his head to the side, listening. _It's silent, _he thought, clutching the hilt of his kusanagi sword. His eyes scanned the area before him, searching for anything substantial besides himself. _At the rate the wind is blowing, I should at least be able to hear it going by_. He flicked his finger against the hilt of his blade. _There should have been a noise then, too._

It was eerie, really, watching the flurry of snow, seeing it be tossed around and feeling the wind slice past his ears, yet Sasuke was only met with silence.

_Where am I? _The thought came slowly, thoughtfully, and Sasuke was surprised at how it sounded in his mind.

Finally, he heard something other than his inner ramblings.

_Ting._

Sasuke whipped around toward the source, his kusanagi blade half-unsheathed already, waiting.

_Ting._

This time, three shadowed figures accompanied the ringing noise, trudging at a quick pace through the snow, heads bent against the oncoming wind. They were walking toward him.

_Ting._

Sasuke's ever-observant eyes - even though the figures were more than fifty feet away and the blizzard made them hard to see - picked out a hat on the person in the middle; a certain bell dangled on a string from it.

_Ting._

As the three came closer, he tried to see the two outer people behind the black hoods of the cloaks they wore. Each of them were undistinguishable.

_Ting._

They were only ten feet away when they came to a stop. The two outside figures reached up, and, slowly, pushed back their hoods.

…_ting._

Naruto and Sakura stared at each other across from the middle figure, their eyes communicating in a way that Sasuke could not understand. After a pregnant pause, they each looked straight forward - their gazes skimming over Sasuke as if he weren't there - and began walking again. Clear blue and pale jade never wavered, the determination shining fiercely, accented even more by the grim lines of their mouths and their erect postures.

Time seemed to slow as they came by him, halting on either side - Naruto to his left, Sakura on his right. Then, without a word or look, Naruto turned and headed away from Sasuke diagonally. Sakura, at the same time as the next chime from the bell, continued in an opposite direction from the blonde.

_Ting._

Sasuke stood, his eyes hooded, his thoughts lost with them.

_Tingggg._

The middle figure had reached up to grab his hat, pinching the edge between his thumb and forefinger. Sasuke froze as he saw the black nail polish on the figure's nails and dark hair swaying in the wind, peeking out from beneath the hat.

_Ting._

The bell chimed one last time, and then the hat was pulled down and away from the figure's face, hanging limply in his hand at his side.

Itachi.

For some reason, Sasuke didn't feel the raw fury spark within him as he usually did whenever he thought of his brother (which was everyday). He felt hollow, empty, as if he were incapable of experiencing any emotions. His gaze was blank as he stared at Itachi.

Itachi's eyes were cool and clouded, almost weary. Sasuke vaguely noticed that the Sharingan was not active, and identical pairs of opaque orbs met.

Itachi shifted his gaze to the left of Sasuke, where Naruto had disappeared to, then to the right, where Sakura had gone. He finally came to look at Sasuke emptily, eyes boring into his little brother's.

Another silence-filled second passed, and then Itachi began walking the path Sakura had taken not moments before. Sasuke paused before following him.

As they walked, Sasuke a mere ten feet behind Itachi, the wind picked up and sent both of their clothes rippling, flying out behind them. Itachi's hair - pulled back and tied at the nape of his neck - fluttered, and his cloak billowed out as the air caught underneath it.

_Ting._

Itachi dropped his hat and came to a halt, arms hanging limply at his sides. Sasuke peered over his brother's shoulder to see a pink head of hair above the black cloak his old teammate was wearing. Sakura stood in front of a white door that didn't seem to be attached to a building or anything of the sort. It was just a door, upright and alone in the snow.

Sakura stepped forward and turned the handle, walking through the empty space and closing it behind her.

Sasuke searched for any sign of pink on the other side of the door to no avail - it was as if she had vanished. His mouth tilted down in a slight frown, and his eyebrows furrowed. Where had she gone?

His confusion - however vague - left him as Itachi, too, stepped through the door and shut it. Almost mechanically, he followed.

He glanced back at the white world before closing the door and turning to what lay before him.

Now the world was black. Only the people present were seen, as if their own personal light made them visible. Sasuke slid his eyes over to Itachi on his right, but his brother was focused on the scene before him.

Sasuke, curious as to what could hold the older Uchiha's attention so absolutely, shifted his eyes forward. His eyebrows raised slightly in surprise.

Sakura now stood in the middle of the black, her profile visible to him. She gazed intently ahead, and Sasuke moved to see a version of his twelve-year-old self across from her. The younger Sasuke had a slight frown on his face as he stared back at the pink-haired kunoichi.

Then Sakura took a step towards the young Sasuke.

The youngest Uchiha was met with a vision as she took that step - the image of his old teammate weeping so many years ago, begging him to take her with him in his quest for power, flashed in his mind.

_"I'll even help you with your revenge," she cried, her voice laden with tears. "I don't know what I could do…but, I promise I'll try my best to do something! So please, stay with me…or t-take me with you if you can't stay here."_

_Sasuke turned around with a smirk on his lips. "…you really are annoying."_

Sasuke jerked out of the vision, and he frowned a little more.

In the black world, Sakura was now one step closer to the younger version of him. Her eyes, from what he could see, were churning oceans of despair and regret, self-directed anger and newly found strength achieved through determination. Sadness was a dominant emotion, but it could be overlooked with the straight line of her back and set shoulders. She looked older, ready to take on anything that came in the way of her goal…and Sasuke could easily tell that that goal was himself.

Sakura took another step forward, and Sasuke - once again - lost himself in a vision.

_Twelve-year-old Sakura walked into the Hokage's office, her form stiff and her eyebrows poised in a purposeful line._

_"I have a request, Hokage-sama," she said._

_Tsunade glanced up in curiosity. "What is it?"_

Next time, Naruto, _she thought - Sasuke heard her mind as if it were his own - _we will bring Sasuke-kun back together. I will become stronger for you both.

_"I would like to be your apprentice!"_

The vision - they were not visions, Sasuke realized, but memories - ended, and as he observed in the black world, the pink-haired kunoichi now had a medical pack around her waist, and her green orbs were filled with wisdom.

Another step she took.

_Present-day Sakura faced Uchiha Itachi with Naruto, Kakashi and Chiyo at her side, ready for anything he threw at them. He was in their way of reaching Sasuke, and so he needed to be eliminated._

_She was glad that, in the end, he had been defeated, even if it was just another man's body changed to look like him and given the elder Uchiha's chakra._

Once the vision ended, Sasuke's mouth thinned at the fact that Itachi had come close to his old team, even as he noted that now Sakura was getting even closer to his younger self, and her eyes held a silent fury towards Itachi.

She placed her foot ahead of her.

_Sakura and Chiyo faced the Akatsuki member Sasori in a large cave, ready for battle._

_Sakura's eyes narrowed, and she growled, "You know about Orochimaru."_

The new vision flashed forward some, and before Sasuke could react, he found himself witnessing Sakura as she screamed at the Akatsuki member.

_"I will beat you half to death and _make you _tell me about Orochimaru!" she yelled, rage evident in her eyes. "Now matter how much you resist or how much it takes, _I will make you talk_!"_

Sasuke felt shock course through him. _What is she doing? _he thought. _She'll get herself killed for that. There is no way Sakura can stand up to an Akatsuki member._

The scene skipped forward again, and he was thoroughly proved wrong.

_Sakura yanked on the cord protruding from Sasori's stomach, and once he was within range, she yelled "Shannnaarrroooo!" before her fist connected with his body and he shattered into many various pieces._

Another time skip.

_Chiyo sat panting from the aftereffects of Sasori's poison. The old puppet master saw Sakura's relieved expression at their victory - and was about to smile as well - before the pink-haired kunoichi's face took on an expression of complete horror._

_The retired Sand ninja twisted slowly to see her grandson's blade about to plunge through her old body._

_By the time she saw this, though, Sakura had jumped between them._

Sasuke's eyes flew open wide, even wider than they had been before.

_The blade protruded grotesquely from his old teammate's back, coated a heavy red with her blood._

The Uchiha felt every ounce of her pain as if it were his own, not of his own free will.

_The Akatsuki member's expression was one of shock, but he smirked when the girl noticed Chiyo's poisoned, weak body and hurriedly told the old puppet master to take the antidote. "Even with an injury like yours, you still worry about others?" he taunted in his light, smooth voice. With that, he pushed his blade further into the girl's body._

_And Sakura glared, and began to heal herself internally, even as the weapon shot sparks of pain through her and the poison started to spread._

The vision skipped once more.

_The young medic stood with her green orbs filled with relief and satisfaction at the information she had obtained from the fallen Akatsuki member._

I'm one step closer to Sasuke-kun, _she thought, and smiled wickedly._

In the black world, Sakura was gushing blood from the wound on her left side, in the front and back. She did not seem to mind, though, as her eyes were still focused on the younger version of Sasuke. Those eyes gleamed with newfound awareness, experience, and self-confidence.

Now the younger version of Sasuke had an eager expression in his obsidian orbs, as if he wanted Sakura to come to him. The rest of his face, however, remained stoic.

Sasuke's thoughts had come to a halt long ago. Now he simply watched, felt, and waited.

Sakura's blood-covered feet - the crimson liquid had trickled slowly down from her wound - moved once again.

_Tears pooled in her eyes and fell down her cheeks in an endless amount as she looked at what Naruto had become - coated in the Kyuubi's chakra with four tails behind him._

_Before even Yamato could stop her, Sakura sprinted to her teammate - because the blonde was in that monster somewhere - crying, "Enough already, Naruto! I'll rescue Sasuke-kun so - so you won't have to! Please, _stop."

_The beast turned toward her, and, in the blink of an eye, one of its tails descended on her arm._

In the black, Sasuke saw three horizontal slashes on her left arm. Each was bleeding heavily, pouring blood down her skin and turning her fingers red. Sakura's eyes - Sasuke had learned that something new would appear in them after each memory - were sad with the fact that Naruto had had to face so many demons alone. Then again, the pale jade grew dusky with a promise to help him in the future.

Sakura completely ignored the blood that was falling from her fingertips - glinting crimson before disappearing in the blackness - and advanced to the dark form of the twelve-year-old Sasuke.

_She was frozen as she stared up at who used to be her friend and teammate._

_In the crater he created, she saw him, and she thought it was funny how through all that had happened, all the hurt and grief and anger he had inflicted upon her with his absence, she still loved him._

Sasuke blinked slowly and when his eyes opened again, they were hard. The corner of his mouth tilted into a frown. As the vision continued, he watched himself through her mind.

_Sakura took in every detail of him; noticing his new attire - which, to her disgust, greatly resembled Orochimaru's - and how his beautiful raven hair had grown longer in the past years. His cheekbones had become more prominent, and his whole face seemed to have matured._

_The most shocking thing, though, were his eyes._

_They were still the same black - unsurprisingly - yet now they lacked the gleam that had used to accompany them. Back in their genin days, Sasuke showed emotion. It might not be the kind she wanted to see - like a pleased smile or a caring face - but it was there nevertheless. In brief spurts of anger, resolution, and just plain annoyance at his two teammates, there was a certain sparkle that reminded Sakura that he was human, just like she was._

_Now she looked into his hooded eyes…and only found emptiness._

_She knew, deep in her heart, that now was not time he would come back to Konoha - if that time even ever came._

After that one step, Sakura was crying.

Her shoulders did not shake, she made no sound (not that in a soundless world Sasuke would be able to hear it anyway), and her eyes did not close in despair, but the tears kept on falling. If anything, the pale jade shined with steadiness and her stance became stiffer, yet she cried.

It was as if after that day, she pulled a protective cloak around herself and forced her brave face to the surface, making it stay there.

As Sakura moved fixedly to take another step, she stumbled - it proved that her emotional shield was not as strong as it seemed.

She pitched forward, the blood from her wounds flying, and descended to the ground without even trying to break the fall, like she didn't even care what happened to herself anymore.

…and then Itachi caught Sakura in his arms.

Sasuke noted with dampened shock that his brother, indeed, was no longer at his side.

He observed Itachi give the medic a soft smirk, and she readily smiled back, pale jade resonating contentment. The elder Uchiha steadied Sakura, making sure she was okay - eyes darkening at the blood that covered her body - and then…he offered her his hand.

Sasuke's jaw clenched when Sakura placed her hand in his, smiling wholeheartedly still.

Together they continued toward the younger version of Sasuke, who was glaring at Itachi even as the curse mark began to spread across his skin.

No memories came.

Itachi paused a mere two feet away from the young Sasuke (whose Sharingan could have fried a lesser man, yet the elder Uchiha brushed it off), and Sakura gazed at him, obviously wondering why he had stopped.

Sasuke watched intently.

Itachi glanced at her, then at the young Sasuke, and dropped her hand, shaking his head slowly.

Sakura's eyes filled with tears again, but she gave Itachi a weak, wavering smile, as if saying that she understood.

Itachi then turned to the young Sasuke, who now looked confused at what was going on. The elder Uchiha's gaze was forlorn as he reached two fingers forward…and poked Sasuke in the space above his eyes.

Gradually, Itachi faded into the black with a contented smile on his face.

Sasuke gripped the handle of his kusanagi blade, the only sign of his confusion and need for reassurance.

Younger Sasuke, however, had tears slipping from his eyes. His gaze was locked on where Itachi had stood not two seconds ago, and the curse seal was rapidly spreading further, strengthened by his grief.

Then Sakura enveloped him in her arms, her cheek coming to rest on top of his head. Young Sasuke's obsidian orbs widened before his eyelids drooped down, his mouth tipped up in the softest of smiles, and the curse seal retracted. Finally, he closed his eyes and cried silently into her shoulder.

Sasuke turned away from the sight.

"Sasuke-kun."

He wearily glanced around for whoever had called his name. He felt dead inside, and for some reason he wished Itachi would come back.

"_Sasuke-kun, _it's time to wake up now," the voice - which was steadily growing louder - said.

"Sasuke-kun, Orochimaru-sama needs you _now _-"

Sasuke's Sharingan eyes flashed open.

_Slice._

Kabuto backed away from him, fingering the new cut on his cheek with his lips pressed together tightly. His hand came away crimson.

Sasuke stood before the medic, breathing heavily. His eyes were wide, his lips barely parted, and the hand holding his kunai shook visibly. It was almost as if he were staring right past Kabuto, so unfocused his gaze was.

Eventually, the Uchiha straightened from his defensive stance and glared at the silver-haired man, who in turn shrank away further. "Leave," Sasuke ordered. His voice left no room for argument.

Kabuto pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, his hand trembling slightly. "Orochimaru-sama needs you," he tried to explain, but was cut off.

"If you value your life, then leave now," Sasuke repeated, and the Sharingan whirred.

Kabuto quickly took the chance and escaped out the door, slamming it behind him.

Once the medic had gone, Sasuke dropped his kunai and backed against a wall, staring at the cold, grey ceiling above.

The cat was gone - after he'd sliced Kabuto with his kunai, it was the first thing he had checked for. He had a feeling that if he had found it anywhere near him, by now the whole entire base would be in shambles from the electric charge of his Chidori.

She must have put him under a genjutsu, Sasuke finally decided after a few moments of thought. If he ever saw that mangy feline again, it would be dead before its other eight lives could even begin to protest.

With that, Sasuke pushed off the wall and made his way to Orochimaru - to power and the life he had chosen.

He never knew that if he had followed Naruto through his trek to the young Sasuke, in the end, they would each be covered in blood, sporting wounds given by the other…shaking hands, with Naruto grinning in relief and Sasuke adorning a delicate smile, each looking at the teenage boy across from him whom he considered a brother.

* * *

Sakura stared at her opponent with fire in her eyes. Adrenaline rushed through her veins at the prospect of a fight, and her mouth curved up into a slightly chaotic smile.

_'Are you ready for this?' _Desunei asked, grinning also in Sakura's mind. Faintly, the Spirit noticed the small form of her clone - it was invisible to anyone but her, unless she wanted it to be seen - make its way toward her and mold itself with her chakra. The Tigress's ears flicked back at the information it had gained on Uchiha Sasuke...and his reaction to the little show she had set up for him.

As a reply to Desunei's question, Sakura cracked her knuckles.

Itachi, Kisame, and Sakura had skirted Iwagakure and reached their destination before the day ended - now they were all staying in a nice motel (of which Itachi happened to know the owner), and were letting themselves rest from the grueling traveling the past two days had brought (well, in Sakura's case, she had been unconscious the first night, and when traveling that day she'd felt like she could go on forever).

Itachi, after a short pause, had instructed Sakura to come out in the tree-lacking forest - though its barrenness could be overlooked at the sight of the vibrant sunset - with him, saying he wanted to test her skills and see what she had to improve on.

And now here they were.

"From this day forward," Itachi said from across the clearing, his voice flat without any hint of emotion, red eyes glinting in the dying flame that was the sun, "your training will commence."

Sakura took that as a reason to start, and slammed her fist into the ground.

* * *

**A/N (important message below!): **7,631 words. That is how long that chapter was. I hope you're happy. DX Just kidding! This chapter was actually a lot of fun to write, so I really shouldn't complain, though I feel like I need to. So...long... *dies*

Well, aside from that, I hope you liked the Sasuke bit! (It ended up being longer than I had planned, but it significantly - kind of - hints at what will happen in the future, and I get carried away so easily...) I felt like the story was dragging a little, so who other to spice it up with other than Sasuke?

And I also promise that there will be more of Naruto and his group in the next chapter, and the plot will actually get moving some...so yeah, I guess that's it...WAIT!

ONE MORE URGENT THING:

In the future, Sakura will figure out which elemental chakra she has, and I want you guys to choose what it will be - Water or Earth? I was having trouble deciding myself, and I also have a number of jutsu for each that she could learn. So say what you think and vote, please (in your reviews, not on my profile)! Majority wins, and after two days since this chapter is posted I will count them up.

Thank you so much for your support, and please review! Your opinions and thoughts drive me on. Really. Truly. I wouldn't be writing right now without you guys. :D See you next time (in about two weeks).


	5. Aurora

**Silent Sacrifice Chapter 4: Aurora **

* * *

Three weeks passed.

In Sakura's eyes, they went by quickly, the days coming fleetingly and then going without a pause. They - meaning herself, Itachi and Kisame - continued to stay in the nice motel as before, Sakura having a room of her own and the other two sharing one (she'd woken up one morning to find a drawer full of dull kimonos just her size).

Not much happened at first - after her spar with Itachi, he'd told her she needed to work on honing her basic abilities to perfection. (One failed punch and two other attempts with her chakra scalpels had proved completely futile - since he'd had the opportunity to assess her skills during their first battle in Konoha, he was not one to be taken by surprise again.)

She had glared at him, nursing a newly developed bruise on her stomach (she'd been a _little_ too slow as he put forth an elbow, unfortunately). "Are you saying I'm _weak_?" Her temper steadily began to rise. She was not going to allow someone to downgrade her once again.

Itachi had glanced at her from the corner of his eye as he leaned against a tree. "You have some areas to improve on," he'd deadpanned, and walked away.

From that day on she worked constantly with kunai and shuriken for hours a day, relentlessly chucking them at the few trees available to her in the forest. The endless _thunk thunk thunk_ sound that resonated as they were buried in the wood became imprinted into her mind.

_She flew through the air, three kunai hooked on her fingers and a ferocious battle cry issuing through her mouth. _

"_Haaaah-chiyaaaaa!"_

_Silver glinted in the waning light before the weapons pierced straight into the targets they were aimed at: a trio of leaves falling through the air. _

_Sakura grinned, and after throwing five rounds of ten shuriken at their chosen destinations - and not missing them even by the smallest fraction of a centimeter - she thought that Tenten would be proud._

_From then on, she practiced walking up and down trees while throwing her weapons (which wasn't too hard, since Sakura had great concentration), and then she worked on flipping through the air at the same time. _

_She created makeshift dummies out of old cloth and debris from the forest, and worked on her taijutsu ferociously. She ran laps around the motel and didn't stop until her lungs were bursting from lack of oxygen. _

_All in all, she felt she had improved greatly, even if it were in categories she should have already mastered. _

Sakura and Desunei also worked together.

The Tigress Spirit, she learned, specialized in the workings of the mind. It explained how easily she'd gotten into Sakura's thoughts and memories. The Spirit could hear everything that went through Sakura's head - which meant she usually gave the pink-haired kunoichi her respected privacy, only listening in when things proved interesting or informing.

On the marked day of two weeks, Desunei showed Sakura what she deemed "a priceless artifact."

The Tigress Spirit sat with Sakura in the forest outside the motel - she was able to basically reform her chakra to create an ethereal form. Desunei's body shimmered faintly, and only her eyes seemed truly substantial.

By now, the golden marks on Sakura's skin had long since retreated into her seal (except for the seal itself and the designs on her face), her eyes were back to the pale jade they used to be, and she had learned to retract her fangs.

Well…she _had_ learned to retract them, but she decided to show them anyway, since they seemed to deeply unsettle Itachi. In that she took great joy.

"Take this," Desunei ordered. Hanging from her paw was a small, beaded bracelet.

Sakura reached out and grabbed it. The jewelry was made out of an assortment of colors, ranging from an opaque stone to sapphire to tiger's eye. The beads clanked together softly as she examined it.

"What's this for?"

"It's a special kind of bracelet, one only people who have been trained especially to use it can utilize." The Tigress raised a claw to each of the small beads, pointing them out individually. "They each represent emotions or abilities. Emerald for love and perception, tiger's eye for personal insight, amber for intelligence, ruby for power, obsidian for healing and protection, dioptase for emotional patterns…the list goes on and on."

Sakura ran a finger over the tiger's eye, which happened to be the largest gem on the bracelet. "What exactly is the bracelet for, Desunei-sama?" Experimentally, she weaved her chakra into the tiger's eye, and suddenly all her jumbled thoughts came to a halt. Left in its wake was a feeling of perception and clarity. She found that her mind had been cleared of everything troubling, and peace was left behind it all.

Desunei's tail flicked. "I see you have already discovered a small part of its power, Sakura," she said approvingly. "I think I'll let you try to figure it out on your own."

Before Sakura could protest, the Spirit had returned herself into the kunoichi's mind.

Sakura grumbled and slid the bracelet on her arm before she walked toward her room.

She glanced down at the bracelet, curiosity weaving its way through her. Again, Sakura fused her chakra into the tiger's eye, and her mind cleared. It was as if she could look around and only see, experience, and feel without being interrupted by her own thoughts…just like meditating.

Now confused, Sakura placed chakra in the emerald, and a picture of Sasuke and Naruto standing together, tolerating each other, was put forth in her head. Along with it came the familiar burst of affection she felt when she saw either of them.

She held her wrist higher in the air, and took note that there were five other big stones, smaller than the tiger's eye, yet larger than the others. They were placed at even distances from each other, the circle eventually coming to connect with the tiger's eye.

Sakura recognized each of the five from her days at the academy; fire agate to ensure safety while overcoming problems; blue chalcedony to harmonize the body, mind, and spirit; dravite for self-healing and help in discovering self-acceptance and emotional strength; pietersite for cleansing and transformation; and sugilite to instill light and love in dark situations and to teach one how to live from their own truth.

Sakura turned the corner in the hall that led to her room, trying to piece that information together. _Well, I know that fire agate is linked to the fire element, and dravite to the earth element…wait a second. Then that means-_

Her thoughts were cut short abruptly as she passed by Itachi and Kisame's room, right next to hers. Their voices, hushed and secretive, barely reached her ears, but she made out their words well enough.

"So Hidan and Kakuzu finally got themselves killed, huh?" Kisame's voice was laden with amusement.

"Kakuzu, yes," Itachi replied stonily. "Hidan's still-talking remains were buried by his opponent."

Sakura froze just as she began turning the handle on her door - Desunei's ears perked up in her mind, listening intently also.

"Do you know exactly who it was that defeated the two mighty Zombie Akatsuki Brothers?"

"…my sources claim that Hidan was taken down by Nara Shikamaru, while Kakuzu was defeated by Uzumaki Naruto…and Hatake Kakashi."

Kisame laughed rather loudly (and rather maniacally). "Well, well, well. It seems as if we're going to have to watch ourselves around that group, don't you think, Itachi?"

Sakura heard some shuffling, then a sigh. "They will only prove to be a nuisance, not a hindrance. If they come any closer, we will just move to a different location."

The pink-haired kunoichi quickly entered her room and shut the door quietly, all thoughts of the bracelet on her wrist completely forgotten.

* * *

_I failed again._

Naruto sat in the aftermath of his battle with Kakuzu, staring at the ground with his eyes hooded.

_Our mission to bring Sasuke back failed._

Kakashi ended the Akatsuki member's life with a stab from his Chidori, his expression grim.

_And now…Sakura's gone, too._

The copy-nin glanced at his old student and sighed. Their mission to kill Itachi hadn't gotten them anywhere, and neither had the one to bring Sakura back. It was as if they had disappeared off the face of the planet. Several times Kakashi's summoning dogs had picked up on the Uchiha's scent, only to find that it trailed off in twenty different directions. Nothing they did seemed to get them anywhere.

Naruto's fist clenched and he breathed deeply.

_The two most precious people in the world are gone, all because I was too weak to save them. Some high-class ninja I am._

A tear fell.

For two weeks they had traveled all over, asking anybody they came across if they had seen the Uchiha, a blue-skinned man, or a pink-haired woman. Nothing. And then both groups sent out (Jiraiya's team and Neji's retrieval squad) received a message that they were to return back to Konoha, because, really, the search was useless.

Even Naruto agreed to retreat willingly. In the course of the next few weeks, he trained with Kakashi and Yamato, learned that he had a wind-based chakra, and began developing his new jutsu. Soon, Team 10 came back from their mission and delivered their grief-inducing news about Sarutobi Asuma, then set off again with Kakashi to complete the four-man formation and get revenge.

Eventually, Naruto, Sai, and Yamato were called as reinforcements for a battle against the two Akatsuki members.

_I guess all I can do now is train and become stronger. I will grow powerful enough to bring them both back._

With that thought, Naruto stood up and hardened his gaze. "Let's go back home," he said softly.

Shikamaru glanced at him; their eyes met, and each nodded. They both understood what the other was going through - in such a short period of time, they had lost someone dear to them; Naruto, a part of his family; Shikamaru, a sensei who died with honor for all that he believed in.

And they took their loss in stride, and started on their new paths in life - for those who had gone, they would become stronger, because they knew that was what they would have wanted.

Toward Konoha the two men walked.

* * *

Sakura stole one last look at the rising sun; its multi-colored hue lit up her face majestically, and she cherished the warmth it brought her. For a moment she closed her eyes and, almost on reflex, poured chakra into the tiger's eye on her bracelet - it left her mind aware yet not responding for a short while. Mentally, she noted to continue her examination of the bracelet from last night.

Sakura opened her eyes and adjusted the pack on her shoulders, then stepped out of her room and headed down the hall.

Despite Desunei's reasoning to her to stay with Itachi, Sakura decided against it - he still hadn't spoken his plans to the kunoichi, so she didn't she why she should have to stay when she could be within her village - and that morning had her bag packed to go. So far, Itachi hadn't even taught her anything, just told her to practice with her aiming skills with kunai and shuriken out in the forest (many times already had she needed to sharpen them from such constant overuse).

During the past three weeks, she hadn't even seen much of the Uchiha (actually, in the middle of that time, she hadn't caught sight of him for six days, and the only answer Kisame gave her was that he had some "Akatsuki business"). Usually she would wake up, eat whatever food that had been left for her, train until she couldn't move, and then eat again before going back to sleep. She could always sense Kisame standing not too far away, watching her in case she were to ever try to escape.

Well, the blue-skinned man wasn't there now.

Sakura finally reached the end of the hall, and was about to continue on when she felt _his_ chakra signature. She cursed mentally.

"Leaving, are you?" Itachi's voice drifted towards her, and her neck snapped up to see him leaning against a wall, eyes closed and head tilted up.

Sakura pressed her lips together. "I don't see why I should stay," she retorted and took a step forward. "You haven't taught me anything, and I don't even know _why_ you want me here."

He turned his head and blinked slowly, assessing her with his gaze. After a pregnant pause, he ordered faintly, "Come," and walked off down the hall.

'_This is it, Sakura,'_ Desunei whispered. _'Now you'll know why everything happened; you'll know why he did what he did.'_

Curiosity took over, and she followed him.

Outside, Sakura found Itachi sitting in a high branch, one arm casually draped over his bent knee as he stared off into the shadows. Her steps faltered as she drew closer, and she was left standing next to the tree awkwardly.

He glanced down at her - a mere flicker of his red eyes - and murmured, "I won't hurt you."

Sakura's lips parted and her gaze flashed up before she wordlessly climbed up the tree, and hesitantly placed herself beside him.

Silence reigned for the longest time as they both stared out at the sun, their forms slowly being consumed by its golden light. Sakura nervously tapped her fingers against the branch to make the moment less pressing.

Finally, Itachi spoke. "I had a reason," he voiced quietly.

Sakura turned her head toward him to show she was listening.

He closed his eyes and placed his weight fully against the tree. "I had a reason for killing them."

The pink-haired kunoichi froze and her pale green orbs snapped over to him. _He must be talking about his clan…_

'_Shhhh,' _the Tigress coaxed. _'Just listen, child.'_

Itachi's brow furrowed by the smallest degree before he resumed what he'd been saying, "You see, I was ordered to kill them all."

* * *

Orochimaru tilted his head to the side and stared at Kabuto, who seemed grim after relaying the information he'd gained to his master.

"I see," the Snake sannin hissed, his yellow eyes narrowed to slits. "Taking on an apprentice of his own, and one from Konoha at that."

Kabuto shifted on his feet. "Not to mention she used to be Sasuke-kun's teammate, and Tsunade's apprentice."

Orochimaru smiled, and his tongue came to slide across his thin bottom lip. "Well, won't this be interesting."

"Do you want me to tell him?" the silver-haired medic asked, pushing his glasses up further on his nose.

"No, that will not be necessary. I suppose it would be better to wait and see what happens." The Snake sannin began to laugh in that throaty, deranged way of his. "After all, it would just make our poor Sasuke-kun even more impatient to exact his revenge, and we still have months to come."

* * *

_I once acted as a double spy for Konoha - as an ANBU, my father trusted me to inform him on anything suspicious the village planned. Really, though, I was passing information from my clan to the village. My family was planning to revolt._

Ba-bum.

_I was given strict orders from the Village Elders to stop the Uchiha rebellion against them._

Ba-bum.

…_so I killed them off, and joined Akatsuki to make sure the Elders did not forget me. But…_

Ba-bum.

_I didn't do it alone. Someone else helped me with the massacre when I asked._

Ba…bum…

_Sasuke and I are not, in fact, the last two Uchihas._

…

_There is another. His name is Uchiha Madara: the founder of the Uchiha clan._

Baba-bum. Baba-bum.

_To this day he lives as the Akatsuki member known as Tobi. His most distinctive feature is the mask he wears to cover the Sharingan and his identity. Sakura…I want you to stay away from him._

Baba-bum.

'…_why are you telling me this, Itachi-sama?'_

A sigh. Red eyes flash away with the smallest hint of sadness churning in their crimson depths.

_Eventually, Sasuke will track me down and kill me. I know, for one, that Madara will not let one powerful enough to defeat me go to waste, and he will take my little brother with him._

Pale fingers clench around the branch, their strength nearly crushing it to pieces. The heartbeat slows.

_Sasuke will learn the truth behind the massacre, and he will want revenge._

Ba-bum.

_He will want to destroy Konoha, just as Madara does. You see, Madara still holds the village responsible for not giving him power. Senju Hashirama, the Shodai Hokage, defeated him for the title as Konoha's lead shinobi. Everyone thought he was dead…yet now he is immortal._

Ba-bum.

_Together Sasuke, Akatsuki, and Madara will move to take over Konoha…along with the remaining Tailed Demons._

Naruto.

Green eyes fight to hold back tears.

_Not even I know what Madara is planning to do with such power, though he is without a doubt going to use it behind Akatsuki's Leader's back. He is stronger than any of us. In fact, he was the one who founded Akatsuki._

Ba-bum.

_This is where you come in, Sakura._

Crimson locks with jade suddenly, intently.

_You will be the one to stop Sasuke. Along with the Fujin na Tora Seishin and the results of my training you, you will be powerful enough._

Ba…

_You will save Konoha._

…bum.

* * *

Sakura paused before finally knocking on Itachi's door.

A day had passed since she'd learned the truth behind everything he had done. Now, she did not know what to think of the Uchiha. Should she be angry that he'd gone through with the orders, even if that meant betraying his own village? Or should she sympathize with him?

Honestly, she had no idea what to do in that category. Well, not so much that she didn't know what to do, but rather that she was still so utterly stunned that she _couldn't_ act on it.

Nothing Itachi had told her was a lie. No, he hadn't showed her the mission scroll that spelled it all out - he, after all, was not stupid, and had burned the thing years before so that no one ever had the chance to find it - but rather the look in his eyes when he told her of the Elder's orders confirmed the truth of his words. Desunei had even offered to show the pink-haired kunoichi some of Itachi's memories of the scroll, but Sakura had refused, because she knew everything the Uchiha said was not made up.

And now he expected her to become strong enough to stop Sasuke from destroying her village. Honestly, she didn't think she could do it. After that first encounter with him in years, she had witnessed just how powerful he'd grown. How could she compete?

Well, there wasn't any harm in trying.

Itachi cracked the door open just enough so he could see her. His one visible Sharingan eye gleamed maliciously.

"If you want me to stay with you, then teach me now," she said quickly. He continued to watch her. "Teach me anything you can that will help me bring Sasuke back."

His eyes flickered to the seal on her forehead and the designs on her face. He took in her fierce expression, the unwavering persistence in her pale jade eyes. "…very well," he finally murmured, and exited the room, his Akatsuki cloak swaying as he closed the door.

The Uchiha started forward some, and, realizing that she wasn't following, glanced back. Sakura's eyes were wide as she stared at his lean, tall form. He paused.

Her pale green orbs slid up to his crimson gaze, and then she blinked, and rushed forward to walk beside him. Itachi's lips tilted down a fraction - the only sign of his vague confusion - as Sakura smiled in anticipation of what was to come.

* * *

"From what I have seen, you have a great amount of chakra control."

Sakura nodded disconnectedly.

"Your weakest point seems to be ninjutsu, since genjutsu requires what chakra control you have, and your taijutsu skill level is increased by the massive strength you harbor." Itachi discarded his cloak before stepping out onto the small lake and motioning for Sakura to follow.

The lake reflected a rosy hue of the rising sun, and Sakura watched the colors ripple as she stepped onto the water. She and Itachi had traveled for about a mile in silence to reach their destination (she still didn't know why they had to come all the way to train), and now here they were, two lone souls standing in the middle of nowhere (the area beyond the motel seemed deserted).

"We will start on your weakest ability - as long as you are not skilled in ninjutsu, enemies will be able to use that against you." Itachi brought his hands up, as if he were about to perform hand seals. "If you want to master a jutsu, you need to know everything about it. Know how it forms, how it acts, how it affects an opponent. If you do not, then something unexpected can happen, and your own power can be used against you." Before Sakura could react, his hands flew through a number of seals, and she heard him mutter, "Suiton: Suigadan." Then water began to shoot out of the lake around her. Spiraling, three pointed columns of water rose and made to impale themselves in Sakura's body.

She gasped and ducked - they clashed just above her head, spraying cool liquid onto her face. Almost immediately they curved downward and continued on with their attack. Sakura darted between the base of two of the columns and glanced behind her, eyes wide, only to see one of the points a mere foot from her leg.

"Too slow," she heard Itachi call blandly.

Sakura propelled herself into the air without a second to waste, and her mind quickly went through several comprehensions: neither her super strength or chakra scalpels could help the situation. After all, you couldn't punch water or cut through it (well, you could, but it wouldn't get you anywhere, since you would just pass right through).

The only thing left was a substitution jutsu, but if she fled to the surrounding forest and stayed there, she wouldn't be fighting, only hiding. It was obvious that Itachi wanted her to fight his jutsu off…or did he?

"_If you want to master a jutsu, you need to know everything about it. Know how it forms, how it acts, how it affects an opponent."_

How it affects an opponent, Sakura realized. _He wants me to feel the power of the jutsu, to know its full potential as if I were the one receiving it._

Unfortunately, she was a little too late in that understanding, and the water began to slice through her left arm as she flew through the air.

She cried out and reflexively pumped healing chakra into her right hand, slamming her palm onto the area wounded. The offending water splashed around its glowing green form, ricocheting and drenching Sakura as gravity finally began to take over.

The water fell out of its compacted form, and followed her descent to the lake below.

Only a last second reaction and the focusing of chakra to her feet prevented her from a painful immersion in the clear liquid.

Sakura clutched her wound, panting heavily as she healed it. When she heard a small snort in her mind, she grew angry. _Desunei-sama, why didn't you help me?_

'_First of all,' _the Spirit retorted, _'you didn't ask.'_

Sakura bared her fangs a little, her eyes narrowed and glaring straight forward - rather blearily, since her attention was directed on something that couldn't be seen - as if the Tigress were standing right there. Truth be told, the kunoichi had completely failed to remember that Desunei even existed during her "diminutive scuffle" with Itachi.

Said Uchiha, who happened to be in Sakura's line of sight, dimly wondered if he had been a tad too harsh, considering the daunting look she seemed to be delivering him.

'_And second of all,' _the Spirit continued, _'even if you _had _asked, I wouldn't have assisted you.'_

_What? Why not?_

'_I'm not like the Kyuubi, Sakura. I won't win you out of difficult predicaments just because I have the power to, or because I would die if you did. I will not let you become accustomed to letting me do all the work - for instance, what if I were to disappear suddenly in a dire situation? What would you - who was used to me fighting your battles for you - end up doing? You wouldn't have my power to help you, so where would you be?' _Desunei's voice had taken on a strict tone that Sakura thought faintly resembled Tsunade's.

_Yeah, I guess you're right…_

"Do you understand now?"

Sakura finally focused her eyes and found herself staring into Itachi's netted shinobi shirt. He stood right in front of her, no more than two feet away. She gulped and nodded. "Hai, I get it. This is to help me better understand the jutsu."

Itachi reached up and brushed his bangs out of his face, where they had been swaying in the light breeze. "You are partly correct. This exercise lets you feel the justu from an enemy's point of view. Now you will be able to know the escape plans most likely going through their mind, and since you have a vague idea of what they are going to do, you can counteract them."

_No wonder he became an ANBU captain at age thirteen_, Sakura grumbled in her mind.

'_Hai,'_ the Tigress agreed. _'It is safe to discern that Uchiha Itachi is one of the most intelligent, capable ninjas you will ever meet…and coming from me, that's saying a lot.'_

_Now I know where Sasuke gets it from._

The Spirit, surprisingly, became silent. Then: _'Itachi and Sasuke are completely different people - don't you ever forget that.'_

Her tone signaled that the conversation wasn't to be continued.

Sighing, Sakura folded her arms across her chest and recalled her talk with Itachi. "Alright, so what next?"

"Considering you don't know what elemental chakra you have, we will just have to see if you can work with water," the Uchiha stated, his eyes never leaving hers. "This jutsu can especially be used against any fast-moving fire jutsus, seeing as water is easy and quick to manipulate in heated battle - with enough concentration, of course."

_Especially against fire jutsus, _he'd said.

_Especially_ _against Sasuke's fire jutsus, _her mind whispered.

Sakura's eyes closed momentarily in realization of how serious this situation - this _life_ -was becoming.

Itachi's monotone voice echoed dimly in her ears, as if he were speaking to her through a tunnel. "Now, to begin, focus chakra where you are connected with the water…"

On impulse, she interrupted him. "Itachi-sama?" Her eyes opened and she held her gaze on the necklace around his neck, just so she wouldn't have to look at his Sharingan.

His mouth closed from where he had been about to speak, and he regarded her lowered eyes carefully. "…yes?"

"You never did tell me why you let Sasuke live."

Silence.

Hesitantly, she looked up, and found that his eyes had closed. His expression softened, the muscles on his face relaxed and a small, forlorn smirk replaced his usual flat mouth.

When his eyes finally peeled open, the Sharingan was not present, but rather his murky black orbs met hers calmly. His voice, when he spoke, turned languid and rough with hidden emotion

"Could you possibly kill the one person most dear to you?"

…

It took Sakura a while to actually let the words run through her brain, and even longer to realize the full meaning of them.

_Most dear._

Unconsciously, she took a step back from Itachi, and had to remember to keep chakra regulating at her feet so she wouldn't fall through the water.

Itachi's eyes searched hers, their minute flickering movements reading her expression and calculating her response.

"Why, then?" Her voice cracked on the last word.

His face remained stoic.

"Why wouldn't you tell him?" she yelled, and her fangs flashed. "Sasuke left the village because he thought you had murdered your clan mercilessly! Why didn't you tell him the real reason? You could've saved him from all the hate and anger he's lived by for so long…" She trailed off, and then snapped her glare back to the Uchiha. "Why didn't you tell Sasuke?"

"That," Itachi said slowly, quietly…dangerously, "is for me to know, and you to ignore."

"H-how can you expect me to just let that go?" Her eyes gleamed with barely hidden fury. "If he knew, then he would come back to Konoha and-"

"Continue to try to get his revenge," the Uchiha filled in faintly. His head turned to the side, and he gazed out at the mountains miles away. "If he knew, he would try to destroy the Leaf Village sooner."

Sakura fumed and growled, "If you won't tell him, then I will."

"Hn." Itachi eyebrow's raised by the slightest degree. "You think you could get him to listen to you?"

Her mouth opened, then snapped shut, and she closed her eyes. "No…" she whispered dejectedly.

Sasuke had never listened to her.

And even if she could find him, he would probably try to kill her again. _Even if _she tried to explain, he wouldn't believe anything without proof. And she didn't have the mission scroll…

It was no use. But, maybe if she could somehow show Sasuke Itachi's memories of the scroll, then everything would be alright and he would come home.

'_Sakura, you're not thinking rationally!' _Desunei said harshly. _'You honestly think Sasuke would return to Konoha in peace, knowing the whole time that it was by orders of the Village Elders that his clan was killed in the first place?'_

_I have to try! _Sakura snapped back. _Maybe Naruto or I could convince him that he doesn't need to kill the Elders._

'_Child, you know he won't listen,' _the Tigress's voice was calmer now, meant to sooth. _'He has been driven by revenge his whole life - you honestly think words or actions can change that?'_

Sakura breathed in and out slowly, trying to get her emotions under control. Her cheeks were flushed a heavy pink, her teeth clenched, and her eyebrows had drawn together.

_Calm down, Sakura,_ she told herself. _You let your emotions run wild far too often, and you know Desunei is right…_

_Sasuke won't change._

_And now you are stuck with his stoic, murdering brother who actually did not want to kill him._

"What have I gotten myself into?" she groaned, and then froze. _Uh-oh, I said that out loud, didn't I?_

Itachi frowned mildly. "May I remind you that you agreed to come with me?"

She glared. "Yes, and may I remind _you_ that I decided against it and you knocked me out?"

He lifted his shoulders slightly, and shifted his eyes to meet hers. "You panicked and made an illogical choice; but do you regret the decision now?"

Her lack of response positioned a smirk on his lips that read, "Didn't think so."

"Enough of that," she said heatedly. "Back to the jutsu - so what do you do after you focus chakra to your feet?"

Sakura noticed that the Sharingan had replaced Itachi's enrapturing onyx eyes, and for some reason, she was saddened by that. It was almost as if he let his guard down in those few moments…like he showed who he truly was.

She made it one of her goals to see his true eyes more often.

And if Itachi had known her better, he would be able to see a flash of admiration lurking with her pale jade depths.

Even so, he noticed how her harsh tone alleviated, and her expression diminished to one of grateful conviction.

"Next come the hand seals," he explained smoothly. "Once your chakra is formed and ready, and the seals are completed, you have to focus on compacting the chakra while at the same time adding it to the water." He made sure she was listening, and wasn't too surprised to see her intent eyes watching him, memorizing everything he told her. "To make the jutsu more useful and damaging, it is wise to add a spinning motion, also. It would be best if you had great chakra stores and could easily draw large amounts of water, but seeing as you do not, you need to conserve."

Sakura grimaced at being reminded that her chakra stores were not the highest in the world.

"Your chakra control can help here. Not only will you be able to spin your chakra along with the water precisely, but you can fluctuate the sizes you want the drills to be. Smaller if you need to dodge quickly, and larger if you are sure of a killing blow."

She had not seen Itachi talk so much in the time she'd been with him. She knew he was only talking because he had to explain the jutsu to her, but still.

He showed her the long stream of hand seals, and she ran through them a couple times just to make sure she had them down (really, though, she had them committed to memory as he demonstrated).

After, she placed her chakra - which had been given a unique form and task by means of the seals, as hand seals did with every jutsu - out into the water, her hands folded into the sign of the horse.

_Alright, good so far,_ she thought approvingly. _Now I just have to control the water with my chakra and force it upward._

Her eyebrows twitched when that didn't happen immediately.

Itachi glanced at her and then back down to the water.

After about five minutes, Sakura was panting, but she smiled gleefully when a small bump of water - no more than two inches in height - pushed its way up.

_Two more of those, sharpened points, and spinning motions and then I'll be good to go, _she rallied herself.

Itachi settled back and waited for the long day to come.

* * *

Naruto stirred his ramen around glumly with his chopsticks, cheek in hand.

"Everything alright, Naruto? I've never seen you act like this before. You're not even on your sixth bowl yet!"

Ayame stared down at him worriedly.

The blonde took in a deep breath and then grinned at the older lady. "Heh-heh, I'm okay! Just got a lot on my mind, you know? I'm thinking about taking the next Chuunin Exams so I can finally catch up with all my friends and maybe get a few A-ranked missions in before then." His words were rushed, forced almost.

"Ah, that's right, you're still a genin, aren't you?" Ayame tilted her head to the side and smiled.

Naruto grumbled before roughly shoving some of the lukewarm noodles in his mouth. She laughed, and disappeared back into the kitchen.

The blonde glared at his bowl intensely.

"N-Naruto-kun?" A hesitant, small voice broke through his depressed stupor, and he looked over to see a blushing face hidden behind the ramen bar's curtains.

"Hinata-chan? Is that you?" His mood instantly lightened, and he grinned.

"H-hai," she said faintly, and her red color deepened.

"Well what are you doin' standing over there, Hinata-chan?" Naruto waved her over, and she stumbled her way to place herself beside him. "Do you want some ramen? My treat!"

"N-no thank you, Naruto-kun," she whispered, and pushed her index fingers together anxiously. "Um, I w-was just wondering if maybe y-you would like to train with me later." Her head bent down in embarrassment.

Naruto openly stared (which caused said girl he was staring at to almost faint) before beaming at her. "Thanks, Hinata-chan, I would love to! Uh, here"- his head whipped from side to side, looking for his jacket which he found crumbled up on the floor -"let me just pay really quick and then we can go!"

He sweat dropped at the sight of his open and very empty frog wallet. "Oh, great," he groaned. "I'm completely broke"- he paused and rethought this -"again!"

And then his savior came to him in the form of a blushing girl with blue-violet hair and white eyes. She pulled out a handful of coins and quietly placed them on the table.

Naruto's eyes widened comically. "Ah - no, that's okay, Hinata-chan! You don't have to pay for me. I'll, um, I'll just see if maybe Kakashi-sensei or someone-"

At that precise moment the silver-haired jonin walked by, face in his book. "Don't even think about it, Naruto," he drawled and continued on his way.

"It's o-okay, Naruto-kun, I want to," Hinata insisted gently.

The blonde shrugged his jacket on and gave her a thumbs up. "Alright, whatever you say, Hinata-chan, but next time I'm taking you out to dinner! Anywhere you want to go, I promise!"

She could do nothing but nod her head and blush further.

Naruto grabbed her hand and tugged her along to the training grounds, assuring her, "I'll go easy on you while we're training, Hinata-chan. If you want to take a break then just tell me."

Three minutes later:

BAM!

"O-oh my, a-are you okay, N-Naruto-kun?" Hinata frantically waved her hand in front of the blonde's unfocused eyes.

Naruto blinked, and reached up to rub at his neck. "Whoa," he choked. "What happened?" He looked around and saw Hinata's light pink face, the fading veins around her eyes, and then he grinned. "That was AWESOME, Hinata-chan! How did you do that? I could've sworn you were about to go in for a punch to the stomach, and then suddenly something hit my neck and I went flying!"

The Hyuuga's face steadily turned red, and her fingers pressed together. She avoided his gaze. "A-are you alright, Naruto-kun?"

He blinked. "Yeah, I'm fine, no need to worry about me! My neck's a little sore, though I'm sure it will be fine tomorrow." The blonde slung an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to his side. "I just can't believe how good you've gotten!"

Hinata's eyes bulged. _I-Is Naruto-kun actually hugging me?_

Her last shred of hope to stay conscious flew out the window, and she fainted.

"EH? What's wro - uh-oh. Hey, Hinata-chan, wake up!"

* * *

Itachi frowned when Sakura didn't open the door to her room (though he was secretly glad she didn't, because he had no idea _why_ he'd knocked anyway). He checked the area, and couldn't find her chakra signature within the motel building.

His eyes narrowed before he turned and swept away down the hall, his cloak swaying gracefully.

The front door banged against the wall as he pushed it open, and his Sharingan scoured the area outside. Crickets chirped under the crescent moon, and the stars shined luminously above. The wind blew furiously through the trees, making the branches sway and the leaves clatter together.

There wasn't a sign of the pink-haired girl.

Itachi searched the area again with his senses, and found her dim chakra signature about thirty feet off to his right. She didn't seem to be moving.

He let out a light breath, and walked toward her.

She was sitting cross-legged in the middle of the field of grass outside the motel, hands folded in the seal of the tiger. Her head tilted down, and her eyes were closed in concentration. The muted moonlight cast an eerie glow upon her face and hair, making the pink seem almost white and her skin even paler than it had been.

As he stepped closer silently, she opened one eye and peered at him. He paused.

"What are you doing?" she asked, her voice quiet.

His lips thinned, and the Sharingan gleamed through the darkness.

Sakura sighed, exposed both of her eyes, and patted the ground beside her. "Well, don't just stand there, come sit with me."

"You should be back in your room," Itachi replied smoothly.

"Yes, but it's so pretty out tonight." She placed her hands in her lap and slanted her head back to gaze at the stars. "You don't need to worry - I'm not going to run away."

He proceeded to stare at her without a word.

Sakura looked at him, and her brows puckered. "I really don't understand why you're just standing there."

Diffidently, he walked over and placed himself behind her, lowering himself to the ground elegantly so that their backs faced each other. He crossed his legs as she did.

And then all they could hear was their own steady breathing, the whoosh of the wind, and the constant tune of the crickets. Far off, a toad croaked.

For once, Sakura found comfort in the silence. She didn't feel the sudden urge to start a conversation or shift uneasily. It was peaceful.

She could sense Desunei's light purr in her mind, as if she were sleeping.

Itachi let his eyes drift shut, and his hands hung limp in his lap. He focused on emptying his mind of any thoughts, pushed out anything that would break his harmonization with nature. He let every sound invade his senses almost overwhelmingly.

When she finally broke the noiselessness, her voice was soft and careful. "What was he like?"

"…hn?" Itachi's lips tilted down.

"Sasuke…what was he like before you…left?"

His eyelids lifted, and he stared out into the tall, dark trees ahead of him. "Didn't you know him then?"

Sakura sighed and fiddled with the long grass around her. "Of course I knew who he was - everyone did - and I had a crush on him, but…later on I realized he wasn't perfect, just like the rest of us. Before the massacre, he was still pretty withdrawn and quiet…I just want to know how he acted with you and your clan…" She left the sentence hanging, knowing that he understood what she was talking about.

"Sasuke…was a imprudent little brother who showed too much emotion," Itachi stated uniformly.

Sakura felt the shock course through her. For someone who had earlier claimed Sasuke was the most precious person in the world to them, that was a little harsh-

"Yet I cared for him, even if he didn't know. Even if he doesn't know it now." His tone was final, and Sakura didn't dare try to get more out of him. She actually didn't need to know more. What he'd said before and what he had said now were enough for her.

With that, her respect for the man behind her grew.

And the silence consumed them once again.

Itachi didn't know how many hours passed - he didn't really care. His old memories dominated his mind, forcing him to relive everything before the darkness overcame his life. Sasuke's smiling face was the main picture presented to him.

Eventually, though, he beat them back. That part of his existence meant nothing to him now - all he needed to do was focus on the future, and make sure his plans did not become meaningless.

He was about to close his eyes again - they had been watching the trees without relaying the information back to his brain - when he felt a slight pressure on his back.

The Uchiha froze, and slowly turned his head to see behind him.

Sakura had fallen asleep, and now her turned head leaned on his shoulder while the rest of her body slumped beside him, her back pressed against his.

Itachi didn't know what to do. If he stood up, she would fall back and probably hurt her head in the process. But on the other hand, they couldn't stay out there all night.

Before he knew it himself, he had twisted and moved to hold her in his arms. Gracefully he rose to his feet and without a second thought walked toward the motel.

Itachi's eyes remained on her sleeping form all the while - maybe she had been too tired from the day's training and needed rest. After all, she had managed to get one water drill ten feet into the air by the end of the day. It'd even had a slightly pointed tip.

When he'd first learned the jutsu, it had taken him at least two days to get that far.

Whether or not she had fallen asleep from weariness or lack of sleep, he was still placidly shocked at her faith in him. No one in their right mind would ever let their guard down around Uchiha Itachi…unless they were suicidal. Letting your guard down was enough of a mistake on its own, but to fall asleep so simply nearly guaranteed danger.

_Foolish girl, _he thought on instinct.

And as he placed her gently in her bed - making sure the covers were pulled all the way up to her neck - the red of his Sharingan faded to black.

Her easily placed trust so very much reminded him of Sasuke.

_((It's as if every day I'm with you, I walk alongside fire. The heat blinds and consumes. Yet its beauty enraptures all who are patient enough to look deeper. They see different colors, witness its majestic way of moving, breath in its murky scent. Some can never take their eyes away. But, just when you think you know everything about it, the fire lashes out._

_It is untamable - if you get too close, the burn is all you can feel._

_And every day I'm with you, the fire grows closer._

_Yet I don't want to move away.))_

**A/N: **I hope you enjoyed this chapter (over seven thousand words AGAIN)! Oh, yeah, and that little end thingy…well, in my eyes, it would be Sakura thinking of Itachi (or Sasuke, even, though that wouldn't really work here). Yep, don't know why I put that there, it just appeared magically in my mind. :/

Water will be Sakura's new elemental chakra! Water had four votes, earth had three. Sorry if you're not happy with it, but I did say majority wins. It's not confirmed in this chapter, but she does show the ability of being able to use it. Later on it will be finalized! Oh, and I know the bracelet and its powers did not get explained either, but it will next chapter, I promise! Feel free to guess what it can do. ;P

Please review! You guys are my inspiration!

Well, until next time…


	6. Post Meridian

_I am going away for a while, but I'll be back don't try and follow me_

'_Cause I'll return as soon as possible_

_See I'm trying to find my place, but it might not be here where I feel safe_

_We all learn to make mistakes _

_And run from them, from them with no direction_

_We'll run from them, from them with no conviction_

'_Cause I'm just one of those ghosts, traveling endlessly_

_Don't need no roads_

_In fact they follow me_

_And we just go in circles…_

Excerpt from "Misguided Ghosts" by Paramore

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto or any Paramore songs.

* * *

**Silent Sacrifice Chapter 5: Post Meridian**

Sakura hated the feeling of being watched. As she walked through the dirty, overused streets of the cramped town, she felt eyes upon her back, and was grateful she'd taken the time to perform a small genjutsu to change her hair color - she had also taken off her hitae-ate and placed it within the folds of her kimono.

Beside her, Itachi was as stoic as ever, and his haughty Sharingan orbs were only for the path ahead, though Sakura knew they missed nothing. Every shadow, every person, every movement was witnessed by those eyes.

The Uchiha let out a light breath and glanced at her. "What are we doing here, again?"

She looked up, grinning. "I need to buy some supplies for dinner tonight." She paused and scowled at the ground. "You didn't have to come, you know. I thought we already established the fact that I'm not going to run away. It's been three months since I first tried, and according to me, I haven't left your side the whole time."

"…you always go outside at night to meditate without informing me," he countered flatly.

"And _you_ know I do that everyday, yet you don't try to stop me." Sakura flashed her fangs at him - which caused several heads to turn and several people to faint - as she smiled. Itachi merely looked away, but she could see his lips pressed together, the only sign of his uneasiness. "As a matter of fact, if I don't recall, you come outside and sit with me every night." _And if I'm lucky, you tell me one more thing about Sasuke when he was little,_ she added silently.

He didn't answer, though it wasn't really surprising.

"Alright," she declared, and her eyes ran down the signs of the few stores available to her, "I'm gonna need some cabbage, cucumbers, corn, garlic, onions, noodles, rice…"

'_Don't forget the tea bags for drinks,' _Desunei reminded her. _'We're all out.'_

"Oh, yeah, those too," Sakura mumbled.

Itachi glanced at her briefly, brows raised a minuscule bit, before his eyes shifted back to the road ahead.

_Dang it, if only I'd remembered to pack the tea bags before we left that last village,_ Sakura berated herself. _Doesn't seem as if I'm going to get much out of this dump._ The only shops she'd seen so far were a cheap jewelry place, a couple of pitiful bars, and then some motels which seemed as if they had just been through a tornado.

'_Well, we are close enough to Sound for it to be considered as of its towns,' _the Tigress remarked.

…_don't remind me. My life is already complicated enough as it is. _Sakura stared morosely at sky, but her cheery mood was not to be broken so easily, and she found herself grinning again.

Her eyes caught sight of a vegetable stand, and she sprinted toward it, her dull tan kimono fluttering behind her.

Itachi followed at a much slower pace.

"Hello there, miss," the owner greeted her. His deep brown eyes twinkled with mirth.

Apparently, Sakura observed, he wasn't native to the town, for he seemed positively happy.

"Wow, these look great," she proclaimed, and picked up a shiny, smooth cucumber, just as Itachi came to stand beside her.

The man smiled wider. "A fresh batch from Konoha, I'm proud to say."

The cucumber fell back into its slot with a light thud.

Sakura stared down at the vegetables before her eyes slid up to the owner. "A-are you from Konoha?" Her voice was wavering somewhat.

"As a matter of fact, I am," the man said proudly. "Just arrived here this morning to sell my produce." His eyes warily slid around the surrounding building and people. "Not too great of a place, if you ask me. If I don't get more buyers, I'll probably leave by tonight."

Swiftly Sakura gathered all the things she needed in her arms. "I'll take these, please," she stated, and held out some coins.

The man gratefully placed all the vegetables in a bag for her and grinned. "You don't seem like you're around here either. What's a pretty lady like you doin' in a place like this?"

Sakura slid the strap of the bag on her shoulder, blushing at the compliment. "I'm just here for supplies - you know, food and clothes and stuff like that."

"Clothes, you say?" The owner took in her kimono (which hung limply on her torso and completely failed to flatter her lean, feminine form) and raised his eyebrows. "Hmmm…you know what, I've got just the thing for you." He bent down and searched for something in a bag he had. "Now where did it go? I just saw it….ah-ha!"

Suddenly he popped up, holding two folded bundles of clothing. One was red, the other black.

"I got these awhile ago in Kumo, for my daughter. She's not a ninja herself, yet she loved to where their clothing. I showed them to her and she told me she'd gotten over that phase. Teenagers can never seem to make up their minds." He beamed, holding them out to her.

Sakura's mouth opened in surprise as she unfolded the clothes. The red bundle was a mesh kunoichi shirt, except where the cloth was usually black, on this it was red. The netting was, of course, black.

She loved it on sight.

The other bundle was a pair of close-fitting, black shinobi shorts. They were just slightly longer than her old pair, and had pockets.

"Y-you're giving these to me?" Her voice was quiet.

The owner nodded, and his eyes crinkled merrily. "You're free to take them!"

Sakura hugged the bundles to her chest. "Thank you," she said sincerely.

"Anytime!" he responded, and the two left without a word.

While they walked, Sakura held up the shirt to herself - it was a little big, but she would cope. "That was so nice of him," she murmured.

As expected, Itachi didn't reply.

Sakura checked her mental shopping list. "Okay, now we just need some noodles and rice…"

"What are you making?"

His abrupt question startled her, but she smiled nonetheless. This was the first time she would be cooking for them - every other night they would just eat at a restaurant (in silence) or find something in the forest (like fish).

Before she spoke, her smile grew forlorn, and her eyes dropped to the ground. "Miso ramen."

He nodded slightly.

"Hey, where's Kisame?" Sakura's eyes searched the crowd for any sign of the blue-skinned man. The last time she'd seen him was before they left for the town.

"At a bar," Itachi replied flatly.

"Oh, great," she groaned. "I guess it's a good thing he can hold his alcohol well…as long as he doesn't overdo it."

"Hn."

She scowled up at the Uchiha for his poor response rate - another part of her, however, was secretly smiling: he reminded her of Sasuke so much. But she knew better to think they were anything more than vaguely similar.

Where Sasuke would smirk and call her annoying, Itachi would only glance at her with eyes full of amusement or he would smirk lightly. At times the older Uchiha spoke more often than Sasuke used to, but at others he wouldn't say a word. He was less expressive, not letting any emotion show - not even anger. Although a few times Sakura could see a flash of something other than emptiness in his eyes, on his mouth. She could witness the multifaceted person Uchiha Itachi was on the inside, and she was reminded that he was a human just like herself.

In a way, Itachi was kinder than Sasuke. In others, she could sense that just below the surface there was something that would crack at any moment, and he would lose his calm demeanor.

Sakura couldn't help herself from comparing the two brothers. They were so alike, yet so different. And their mental characteristics weren't the only things she noticed.

Physically, Itachi was taller than Sasuke. His hair was a lighter shade of black, almost grey, where Sasuke's was so dark it had a blue tint. Itachi had darker skin - a soft tan - than his brother's pale expanse. Also, the tear lines crossing down from his eyes were a big difference, as was the fact that Itachi's eyes seemed more feminine - his eyelashes were more defined.

Sakura peeked up at him - he was a whole head taller than herself - and was content with just observing him. His soft-colored black bangs swayed a little as he walked, he carried his head levelly with the ground, and his gait was so smooth it was almost as if he glided over the ground - his upper body scarcely even moved. The Uchiha's profile features were outlined with a glowing light from the rays of the sun, from his straight, refined nose and his lips firmly pressed together, to his one Sharingan eye hidden by ashy bangs (which had - without Sakura's awareness as she gazed - flashed over to her briefly before returning to the path, and soon after came back; he was now staring - rather inquisitively - at her also, but she was too absorbed to notice).

Finally, Itachi reached up to push his bangs to the side, and her spell was broken - she blinked and flushed heavily, upbraiding herself for staring so openly.

They walked on in what Sakura thought of as an awkward silence.

It didn't take long for Sakura to get all of her supplies for the night's dinner, and soon she and Itachi were making their way along the exiting road of the village. The sun was just about to touch the horizon, and the sky lit up in various shades of purple, blue, orange, and pink.

Several childish peels of laughter echoed from the alley near the road where the two were walking, followed by a high-pitched cry and a sob.

"Uh-oh, did he fall?" a voice questioned anxiously.

Sakura paused on the road, her head turned toward the commotion. Itachi waited patiently by her side.

"Oh, great," another person complained, "now we'll never be allowed to play in the streets again! Kaa-san specifically said we weren't supposed to climb the buildings!"

"You just had to go and break your arm, didn't you, Kaimu?"

A sniffle sounded, and then a low, pain-filled voice croaked, "It's not my fault I fell off the - ow, that hurts, Hamora! Don't touch it!"

"I'm just trying to wrap it up. Calm down."

"Don't you think we should get a medic-nin for that?" a new voice broke in.

"You know the only medics here cost a fortune, Teihan."

Sakura's eyes shifted briefly to Itachi - he stood, gaze locked on her - before she sighed and made her way to the alley (retracting her fangs as she walked).

Five young boys (they couldn't be more than ten years old) filled up the small, dark space, several with worried expressions and one with an annoyed frown on his face. The last one sat with his back against a wall, cradling his left arm to his chest as tears rolled down his cheeks.

They looked up as she approached. She smiled cheerily to them all, and knelt down beside the boy - Kaimu - who was injured. "What happened here? Did you fall?" Her voice was soft, comforting.

He nodded, wide-eyed as he stared at her.

Gently, she took his arm into her hands and her glowing green-gold chakra flared to life. She took her time healing him, making sure he wasn't feeling any pain when she mending the bone together.

None of the boys said a word.

People passed the alley's entrance, some looking curiously over at them while others stopped altogether and stared openly. Sakura ignored them as she pulled some gauze out of her ever-evident medical pack and created a makeshift sling for the boy.

One person, however, stepped closer than the others (she found it amusing and rather sad how a show of amiability was so unfamiliar to these people). He paused about three yards away, quickly taking in their situation with a shocked expression. He glanced at Sakura's glowing hand, then lifted his own right hand and stared at it.

The pink-haired kunoichi (normally, but now her hair was a deep black, courtesy of her genjutsu) smiled at the boys around her before standing up. Sternly, she told the boy she'd healed, "Now don't go off hurting yourself again. Try not to move your arm, and stay out of trouble."

At her words, they all blinked and broke out of their stupor.

"T-thank you!" Kaimu said gratefully. He clumsily stood up and bowed deeply (mindful not to disturb his injured arm).

The rest followed suit, mumbling their appreciation, a couple of them peeking at her from under their hair.

Sakura grinned once again before she turned away from them, her eyes searching the road for Itachi.

She found him standing off to the side, away from the crowds of people. His gaze never left her as she approached him, the smile still on her face.

As she grew closer, though, she felt someone looking at her, and paused. A couple feet off to her right stood the same man who'd taken a specific interest in her healing. Sakura looked up (he was fairly tall) and caught his eye briefly, but he turned away with a light blush on his cheeks. She noticed how he kept rubbing at his hand, and then she glimpsed a large gash that cut vertically from his palm to his wrist.

Sakura gasped, whirling around to meet him face-to-face. She took his hand in hers and immediately began to inspect it. "What happened?" she asked, voice high with tension.

Her eyes flashed up to his - she vaguely noticed they were a very odd shade of deep violet and sapphire - in question.

"I-I was injured on a…mission," he responded quietly.

She weaved her chakra into the wound, mending it simultaneously as she kept the pain at bay.

"How long ago? You really should've wrapped it," she scolded. "It looks like it's infected now."

The man - he looked as if he were just a couple years older than herself - turned his head to the side and refused to meet her gaze. "I was in a rush," he explained softly.

Sakura noticed, with a heavy sense of dread, that there was dried blood all over his grey kimono-like top and black shinobi pants. Really, didn't these people know how to take care of themselves? "Is that your blood or someone else's?"

He smirked a little at that. "Someone else's."

"Well, that's a good thing…I guess," she sighed, and continued on with her work.

The man nervously pushed a hand through his straight, silver hair as she made the finishing touches on his hand. "How - how did you…" His voice trailed off nervously.

She glanced up and stood back, the healing completed. "How did I what?" she prompted gently.

"How did you heal my hand? I've tried with my chakra before, but it never does anything…" He looked anxiously into her eyes.

She laughed, and he blushed again. "Planning on becoming a medic-nin, are you?"

"Well, I…" he began, paused, then continued, "yeah, I've always found the prospect interesting."

Sakura placed a hand on her hip, her head cocked to the side as she inspected him. "Do you have good control over your chakra?"

"…more so than others."

Satisfied with that answer, she questioned, "Are you afraid of blood?"

He shook his head and gestured to his bloodied shirt. "I don't think I'd be conscious right now if I was."

"You have a point there," she agreed. "Now, are you able to retain information and use it even when under pressure?"

His mouth opened to answer, but she cut him off abruptly.

"Actually, that may be important, but it's not the most critical thing," she declared. "If you ever want to be a good medical ninja, then you must have a strong spirit and never be willing to give up. Do you think you qualify?"

He nodded determinedly.

She beamed. "Well, then, I think you would be a fine medical ninja." Her brows furrowed. "Sadly, I won't be here long enough to teach you. I'm leaving tomorrow."

"Oh, that's okay," he replied hastily. "Don't mind me - words just tend to fly out of my mouth sometimes. Um, thank you for healing my hand. It means a lot to me." The words were rushed out of his mouth as a result of his anxiety.

Sakura rubbed her neck. "It was nothing, really-"

"Please, let me show my gratitude by treating you to lunch tomorrow." His eyes locked with hers intently, pleadingly.

Suddenly, though, his midnight orbs shifted to a spot above and behind her left shoulder. She froze, and then turned her head slowly to look up and stare into the vivid crimson of the Sharingan.

Itachi's gaze wasn't directed at the kunoichi as he stood behind her, his chest nearly brushing against her back. He stared wordlessly at the man before her.

Said man's eyes widened, and his hand hovered over his kunai pouch instinctively.

Sakura frowned up at the Uchiha. "Itachi-sama, what are you doing?"

Finally, he met her gaze, and answered flatly, "We are leaving."

"Oh, okay, hang on, just let me, uh, say something." She turned quickly to the man. "I would love to go out to lunch with you," she said softly.

"Really?" His eyes lit up.

She nodded. "Do you know any good restaurants around here?"

"There is one that's better than the rest," he confirmed, smiling softly. "It's just a couple of streets over from here, with big wooden pillars outside. They have the best barbeque pork in miles."

Sakura grinned. "So I'll meet you there around noon?"

He nodded.

"Alright, see you then!" She was just about to turn back to Itachi when she remembered something. "Oh, and by the way, my name is Haruhei Sakaiya." She said her fake name with a flourish, having practiced it many times, and held out her hand to the silver-haired man.

"Yusumo Naochi," he responded, taking her palm in his and shaking it formally.

Sakura smiled once again at him, and turned to the waiting Uchiha behind her. He continued to stare at Naochi (not an actual glare, but it seemed ten times more frightening) with unwavering, unblinking red eyes.

She sighed, reached down, and grasped his hand that was hidden in the folds of his Akatsuki cloak. His gaze automatically flashed down to hers, surprised through the careful, emotionless wall he had. With a slight tug of her hand, Sakura led him away from the commotion of the village, waving a small goodbye to Naochi's fading form.

* * *

Sakura chewed her last mouthful of ramen delicately, savoring every flavor and spice as she leaned against the tree trunk. Itachi sat less than two feet away, against the opposite side of the tree as he ate.

Kisame leapt down from a branch high up, holding his empty bowl in his blue hands. "Thanks for the meal, Princess!" He grinned at the pink-haired kunoichi (she'd dispelled her genjutsu that had changed her hair color when she and Itachi had walked out of the town).

Sakura warily looked at him as she stood up and placed her bowl next to her pack. It seemed as if the blue-skinned Akatsuki member had had a little too much to drink.

"Alright," she declared. "I'm going to train."

She caught Itachi's eye after she spoke, and although he didn't say anything, she knew it was a warning.

She crossed her arms and glared defiantly at him.

"Work on the Ephemeral genjutsu I taught you," he said quietly. Underlying words: 'It would be best not to run away.'

She opened her mouth to reply, then shut it abruptly, and dashed out into the woods.

The Tigress yawned widely in her mind, stretching and flexing her long, black claws._ 'Smooth, Sakura,' _she drawled. _'Very smooth.'_

The pink-haired kunoichi dropped to the ground and folded her hands into the sign of the tiger. _Let's not focus on that - I think I finally figured out what the bracelet is for._

Desunei was silent for a second, and then she purred. _'You have it, child. You finally put all the right pieces together,' _she said approvingly.

It took Sakura a second to remember that the Spirit knew everything that went through the kunoichi's mind, so of course she could already determine whether or not Sakura's hypothesis was correct.

'_Now the next question is whether or not you can put its power to use,' _Desunei continued, a hint of a challenge in her "thought voice."

Sakura nodded and placed her right hand over the bracelet on her left wrist, carefully concentrating chakra into it.

_Okay, so if I'm right, then I need to place chakra in each bead except for the five representing the elements. I have to feel every emotion they come with, and then bunch it all up into the tiger's eye…_

She did just that, her mind cramming up with all the sudden, unprecedented thoughts and emotions. Rage, passion, healing, intelligence, love and more all flashed through her, either as something she felt or something she could imagine in her mind.

So cramped her mind was that she could barely remember to focus all of it into the large tiger's eye on her bracelet. A spark of black and green shined in her vision, coupled with the familiar yet unwelcome twang of jealousy.

_Come on, Sakura,_ she thought forcefully to herself. _They're just emotions…_

Just emotions.

_Emotions_…_that make me weak._

With a tightening of her jaw, she forced the chakra that had been placed in the smaller beads into the tiger's eye.

Bliss. Perception. Clarity.

And everything went blank. The haze in her mind faded just like that.

Suddenly, everything around her became so prominent. The sounds of the forest invaded her senses…wind stirred leaves, crickets chirped in harmony, an owl flew almost unnoticeably by…

The voice in Sakura's head jerked her out of that calm state. _'Focus, Sakura,' _Desunei prompted. _'You just completed the most difficult part. Now all you have to do is focus chakra into the stones that represent whatever elements your enemy would have.'_

Blindly, Sakura maneuvered her chakra around the fire agate and blue chalcedony, which represented fire and water.

And then something strange enveloped around her. She abruptly felt as if her conscious mind was being transported over a distance…forest green flashed around her, the black of the shadows passed so quickly they melded together in one big blob. An uncomfortable sucking sensation coupled with the blurs.

_What's happeni- _Her thoughts were cut off brusquely before she briefly saw Itachi's stoic face…and then nothing.

Blank darkness was presented to her.

Silence stretched for eternity, the cold wreathing its way into her own mind. Ice drove into her skin, and at the same time fire erupted inside of her. Burning at her core, piercing her body…

She dropped down to her knees, clutching her head in her hands as she panted harshly. Another bout of fire sparked through her, and she clenched her teeth together.

It was obvious she wasn't wanted here.

And she shivered when the cool, icy wind blew over her warm skin.

Fire.

Ice.

Pain.

…rejection.

"Why are you here?" The voice was quiet, controlled, but it echoed across the impending distance between them.

She ceased her trembling, and snapped her head up to stare at the man so far away from her. His Sharingan whirled as a sign of his anger, while his face and poise refused to show anything. His smoky hair swayed around him as the wind made another pass, brushing onto his cheeks and against the lines on his face.

Sakura looked down, away from his probing gaze…and gasped.

Separating them was a literally endless chasm. It gave off the only light in the darkness - fire burned deep down, hundreds of thousands of feet into the abyss, crackling almost silently as the molten glow shined against the gap's obsidian walls.

The icy wind also came from it, howling above the sound of the flames, traveling upwards until it burst out and sliced out everywhere, to everyone that was in its way.

She hurriedly backed away from the ledge.

"Why are you here?" Itachi's voice whipped out flatly again.

Sakura looked up, and responded frantically, "I-I don't know. I don't even know how I got here-"

"Leave." He closed his eyes.

"W-what?" She took another step backward. "But I don't know how."

"Just…go." The last word was sighed, and he turned away, heading out into the blackness, away from her.

She watched his form fade silently. Her chest contracted, and she felt tears line her eyes.

_You are so weak, Sakura._

She refused to let her tears fall, and blinked them away.

At the same time, her wrist began to burn. The bracelet glowed with her green-gold chakra, twisting and moving incessantly around it.

She followed her instinct and drew the chakra out of the bracelet.

And she was back into her own world.

_What just happened? _she demanded, blinking at the trees in front of her.

'_You know exactly what happened,' _the Tigress retorted. _'You panicked, that's all.'_

…_so it's true, then? _

The silence she received answered for her.

She had just entered Uchiha Itachi's subconscious mind.

* * *

Itachi wondered at the silence that accompanied his apprentice's training. If she was working on the Ephemeral genjutsu, then he should at least be hearing muted curses and shouts of frustration.

In the past months he had taught her two water ninjutsus: his Suiton: Suigadan and Suiton Suijinheki, which had been originally been used by the Nidaime Hokage. Sakura had mastered both of them in that time to the point where she had even begun making her own modifications to them.

For the last two weeks the Uchiha had begun teaching her his Ephemeral jutsu (first by inflicting it upon her - it had caused her to hide herself in a motel room for a day, a result of the psychological torture she'd gone through), but she seemed to be able to grasp it only by a minuscule bit. Instead of using just a finger as he did, the kunoichi had to perform a series of hand seals to get the jutsu working. When tested on him, she'd barely gotten to the point where crows flocked from her form. It was understandable, though, since she did not possess the Sharingan.

Itachi sensed the kunoichi's chakra signature not too far into the woods, dormant after a brief flare. She was not moving, so he assumed she had already started meditating as usual.

He took one last glance at Kisame's snoring form on the ground before he pushed off the tree and headed toward her.

He found her sitting on a fallen log, her head buried in her arms as she breathed heavily. Perspiration coated what little skin was visible through her kimono.

Her head whipped up when he stepped on a twig, eyes wide as she stood up quickly with a kunai poised and ready in her hand.

At the sight of his familiar Sharingan orbs and ashy hair, she relaxed. "Itachi-sama?" she asked, lowering her weapon. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to join you," he responded impassively.

Her eyes shifted to the ground. "Oh, I wasn't meditating…" She glanced back up then, observing him warily.

_How is it that he wasn't aware of my penetrating his mind?_

'_That's simple, really,' _the Tigress answered. _'You invaded only his _subconscious _mind, not his conscious one. The Itachi that blocked you was his subliminal form, an embodiment of his unconscious psyche, if you want to put it that way. If you were to, say, use the bracelet while he was asleep, he would then be able to be aware of you…or he could mistake you simply as a part of a dream.'_

"Sakura," Itachi said, staring intently into her eyes.

She blinked. "Yes, Itachi-sama?"

"I have a piece of vital information you might be willing to hear." His voice was quiet and stoic, yet it held some dampened form of urgency.

"What is it?" she asked, confused.

"I regret not telling you earlier, but my sources claim that Orochimaru"- she stiffened immediately upon hearing the Snake sannin's name -"was defeated and disposed of by my little brother approximately two days ago."

And silence reigned once more.

…

…

…

A frog croaked.

…

…

…

"Huh," was Sakura's only response.

Itachi frowned lightly at her as she turned away and disappeared further into the woods, but he didn't follow.

He knew she would need time to fully digest the information.

* * *

About five minutes later, it began to rain.

Itachi glanced up from where he sat against the trunk of a tree, and a drop hit his cheek, rolling down his face before it fell and soaked in his Akatsuki cloak.

He slid down further so that only the top of his head was visible above his cloak's high collar.

Beside him, Kisame grinned in his sleep.

And the startling crack of thunder reverberated throughout the sky.

* * *

Sakura's fangs glinted hauntingly as the seventeenth tree creaked and groaned before finally crashing to the ground, its roots sticking up abnormally in the air.

She whipped around and delivered a spinning high kick to a smaller tree behind her - the force detached it from its base and sent it flying into a large boulder about ten yards away.

Her hair slapped against her face as she did that, plastering to her cheeks as a result of how soaked she was. The water streamed down her face and neck, her kimono acting as a dead weight.

She didn't care.

Another bout of thunder crackled through the sky, roaring so loudly that Sakura felt the ground shake beneath her. Lightning flashed simultaneously, and the noise - so familiar to the crack of a whip - drove her to move once more.

She latched on to the unnecessary rage that coursed through her (she didn't even know why she was so furious, but upon hearing what Sasuke had done, she'd lost every sense of logic) and continued with her attack on the forest, completely ignoring Desunei's pleas to calm down.

She was just glad the rain hid her flowing tears.

* * *

After approximately an hour had passed (his mind had counted every second unconsciously), Itachi stood up and followed the flaring evidence of his apprentice's chakra signature.

He found her diving down through the air, one leg extended while the other was bent up to her stomach as she aimed for a tree.

The lightning flared a vivid white that lit up her face eerily, making the shadows beneath her nose and chin stand out harshly. Her pale jade eyes glowed in a stark, colorless pallor, and the pink of her furrowed eyebrows and hair almost lost their normally bright tint.

Sakura's foot connected with the tree trunk, and it crashed into the muddy ground.

Around her, Itachi noted that about fifty trees littered the floor, all either uprooted or snapped off in various pieces.

She was just above to take down another when he called her name softly.

"Sakura."

She froze at the sound of his voice, and her wildly mad eyes instantly met his calm ones.

"Itachi-sama…" Her voice came out as a broken whisper.

And she flung herself at him, her arms wrapping around his thin - yet muscular - torso as she hid her face in his neck. The force at which she propelled herself sent them both to the ground, so that Itachi's back landed against the side of one of the still-standing trees, him sitting upright while she clung to him.

Itachi stared down at the top of her pink head with eyes slightly wider than usual. She curled her knees into his lap, her hands clutching at the cloth of his netted shinobi shirt at his back. No sound came from her, yet he felt warm tears cascading down his neck, and she breathed profoundly.

The rain never ceased to drop as he sat there with his apprentice in his lap, and he was thankful that the branches and leaves of the tree they were under shielded them from the downpour.

He stayed rigid, hands hanging limply at his side, while her breaths gradually lightened and her tears stopped falling. Her grip on his torso never let up, however.

Slowly, Itachi reached up and undid the only closed buttons of his cloak at the top. He brought it around so that it covered Sakura's dampened form, consequently covering him, also.

And only when he noted that her skin warmed did he let himself wrap his arms around her petite figure, rest his cheek on the top of her head, and drift into unconsciousness.

* * *

Sakura woke up to the smell of freshly boiled rice. Her eyes snapped open, hungrily searching around for the source, which she found being held out to her by a certain stoic-faced Uchiha.

She sat up and stretched her back, emitting a long, tired yawn, and then she grinned wearily up at him. "Thank you," she said sincerely, taking the bought bento box from his offering hands. He must've gone into the town and gotten breakfast there.

As she ate, she looked around herself mindlessly. Her eyes caught sight of crimson next to her, which confused her to some extent. The only red item she owned now was her new kunoichi shirt she had received yesterday…

Upon further inspection she realized she was sitting on Itachi's Akatsuki cloak. How odd.

"Itachi-sama, did you lose your clo-" Suddenly she remembered what he had told her about Sasuke last night, her bought of mad fury, and…her falling asleep in his arms.

Abruptly she stood up (trying to cover her blush) and shoved the cloak into the Uchiha's arms, then stalked off into the woods, passing a very confused Kisame who was just waking up from his beauty sleep.

"I'm going to train!" she called, not waiting to hear an answer.

* * *

Thankfully, as Sakura trained for three hours, Desunei didn't question her about her antics of the night before.

The Tigress just sat beside her in her ethereal form, dropping a hint here and there about how she could better perform the Ephemeral genjutsu.

Out of pure determination and frustration she managed to bombard the Spirit with shuriken in the illusion (she was using her to test the jutsu on) and make her fall asleep by means of the crows. Of course Desunei was going easy on her, or else she would've never been able to place the jutsu on her in the first place.

After training, Sakura washed herself in a nearby stream and changed into her newly acquired kunoichi outfit (which, she noticed appreciatively, accented her legs and conformed around her torso perfectly), adding her own medical pack and kunai pouch with it. She then used a genjutsu to make her hair black, and stuffed her hitae-ate in her pocket.

Sakura brushed her hair (with a brush she'd bought at a town they'd stopped at about two months ago), checked to make sure all her weapons were in place, and headed back to where Itachi was going through some scrolls that were rolled out around him. Kisame was busy polishing the few kunai he owned.

"I'm off to the town for lunch," she announced.

Kisame glanced up and grinned approvingly at her new attire. "The outfit suits you, Princess. Very sexy."

She frowned mildly at him.

Itachi looked at her with an indecipherable expression. After a few seconds, he dropped his gaze and murmured flatly, "You look nice."

Her eyebrows raised at that before she turned away, toward the small town.

The table she chose was a nice one in the back of the restaurant, where no one else sat. She had unnoticeably arrived thirty minutes early, so she was left waiting for Naochi impatiently.

Sakura glared down at the menu before her. She still found the fact that Sasuke had killed Orochimaru quite hard to take in, and for some reason it made her angry. Had he really become that strong? Would she ever be able to catch up with him?

Out of the corner of her eye she noticed a person seat herself in the booth next to hers. Sakura buried her face in her arms on the table, her mouth pulled into a grimace.

"Bad day?" The person asked, a hint of amusement in her tone.

Sakura lifted her head and looked over at the woman on her right side. She seemed about Sakura's age, with startling red hair and red eyes covered with glasses. One eyebrow was raised, and she sat with her arms crossed over her chest.

Sakura gave a small smile, noticing the kunai pouch on the red-head's leg that signified her as a ninja. "Yeah, kind of. Life's not easy these days."

The woman smirked, and pushed her glasses up further on her nose. "It has its ups and downs."

Sakura laughed harshly. "I just hope there everything will be alright in the end." She remained silent for a moment afterwards, then grinned again. "I'm actually waiting for my…" She paused, and threw caution to the wind as she continued, "date to get here. What about you? Anyone else, or are you alone?"

"Oh, I've got someone coming." The woman smiled dreamily. "My future husband, to be exact."

Sakura raised her eyebrows. "Really? Wow, good for you."

"I know, right?" she gushed. "And he's the hottest thing that ever walked the planet. I mean, every girl is after him." The woman stopped, then directed a heavy glare to the pink-haired kunoichi she was speaking to. "You wouldn't happen to try to steal him, would you?" Her glare darkened.

"I'm not like that, I promise," Sakura assured her. "If he's yours he's yours, and plus I have my own date coming, remember?"

The red-head sighed. "Okay, good, because if you did I just might have to-"

"KARIN! Why did you have to get a seat so far in the back? And did you get me some water? I'm almost out, for Kami's sake!"

A silver-haired man suddenly appeared next to the red-head's - Karin's - table, flashing his pointed teeth in annoyance.

Karin fumed. "Just shut up and get your own damn water, Suigetsu."

They obviously did not get along. Sakura hid a laugh behind her hand as she watched them. "And is this your future husband-to-be?" she asked, smiling.

Karin sniffed and lifted her nose in the air. "As if. Unfortunately, he's my teammate."

The man - Suigetsu - turned to Sakura, and he grinned. "Well, well, well. Who do we have here?"

Sakura raised a brow, and was about to say something incredibly witty when her eyes flew open wide.

Impossible.

That chakra signature…that dark, imposing presence…

"Ooh!" Karin squealed. "Here he comes!"

Slowly, Sakura turned her head toward the entrance of the restaurant, where a large, orange-haired man was walking in with a shorter man at his side.

Sakura's eyes almost popped out of their sockets, and her lips parted in disbelief.

Karin squealed again.

"There you are, Sasuke-kun!"

* * *

_((It's as if every day I'm with you, I stand beside a raging ocean. The waves threaten and hiss. Yet its grace mesmerizes those who have the will to look deeper. They see hidden life, witness its calm periods, breath in its relaxing scent. Some never want to leave. But, just when you think you understand what it will bring, the water drowns all._

_It is unpredictable - if you get too close, the throb is all you can feel._

_And every day I'm with you, the water surges closer._

_Yet I don't want to move away.))_

_**As we watch, the oceans bleed into the skies.**_

* * *

**A/N: **I finally got this chapter up! Dang, it took me forever. Life's been keeping me busy lately. :P

Well, I start school tomorrow, and soccer just recently started too, so updates will be just a tad later than usual. Sorry, but I really need to focus on school right now.

Oh, and as for the thing at the end, in my eyes it would be Itachi thinking of Sakura. Again, don't ask. :/

Linkin Park is coming out with a new album on my birthday! I'm so excited! Yay! :D

Sorry, just had to get that out of my system.

Anyway, next chapter: Our dearest Sasuke-kun makes an appearance! What will happen? (Insert dramatic soap opera music.)

And last but not least: please, please, please review! It would be the best early birthday present ever. Please? :)


	7. Obscurity

_Time is just a concept_

_And always the first thing to fade_

_Agony and weakness, nothing we can never evade_

_Years are cruel, they break us_

_Bringing on decay and despair_

_Awareness and perception, some things we can never repair_

Excerpt from "Unleashed" by Epica

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto or any Epica songs (or Skip Beat or Hanasakeru Seishounen).

**Silent Sacrifice Chapter 6: Obscurity**

* * *

Surely Kami must be playing tricks on her. After all, who else could make her day - or life, for that matter - so utterly, confusingly, _undeservingly_ horrible?

It was all she could do not to start banging her head on the table - multiple times.

But instead of performing that tempting action, she groaned quietly and thought, _Why me?_

Because Uchiha Sasuke had just walked into the same restaurant Haruno Sakura was so conveniently dining at.

"Sasuke-kun, come sit next to me!" Karin all but yelled. "I saved you a seat!"

Sasuke just slowly shifted his gaze to the redhead before he closed his eyes and continued forward.

The orange-haired man by his side fidgeted and glanced around almost nervously, his eyes hopping from one person to the next in the restaurant. He seemed to stray near Sasuke's side more often than not.

"See, I told you he was hot," Karin whispered animatedly to her.

Sakura winced slightly, but didn't respond.

Said Uchiha slid gracefully into his seat at the very edge of Karin's booth. The redhead frowned (for she must've thought he was too far away to do any good) and scooted very subtly (Sakura relished in the sarcasm) closer to him.

Karin blushed as she grabbed Sasuke's arm and pressed her chest to him.

Sakura's eyebrow twitched.

"Soooo, Sasuke-kun, what took you so long?" Karin asked, her voice high-pitched and flirty.

"Hn."

Karin pouted.

"_Anyways_," Suigetsu drawled, "I have yet to acquaint myself with this pretty lady over here. If you would all excuse me…" He grinned - teeth flashing - at Sakura, who in turn shrunk back into her seat with a frown.

"Actually, my _date_" - Sakura purposefully enunciated the word to get the point across - "should be here…" She glanced up at the opening of the front door, and smiled widely. "Right now."

Naochi stepped into the room, eyes scanning the perimeter until they rested upon Sakura's waiting form. The corner of his mouth tipped up as he waved slightly in her direction.

Suigetsu grumbled something about 'the hot ones always being taken.'

"Yusumo-san!" Sakura called to him. "I'm so glad you could make it!"

A red tint filled his cheeks as he lowered himself beside her in the booth. "I said I'd be here, didn't I, Haruhei-san?"

Sakura smiled. "Please, just call me Sakaiya."

At that, Sasuke's eyes flashed to their table, narrowed to slits as he stared at her. The Uchiha leaned forward, his elbows resting on the table while he placed his chin on his clasped hands.

Sakura froze, her gaze slowly traveling to him, but when she met his opaque eyes, she turned away, swallowing heavily.

Naochi's brow furrowed in slight confusion before he leaned toward her and whispered, "Doesn't that guy look just like the one you were with yesterday? What was his name, again? Ita - Itami? No, that's not it -"

Sakura slapped a hand across his mouth to prevent him from speaking any more. Her gaze flitted nervously to Sasuke, whose eyelids had moved minutely closer. She winced - his Sharingan had activated, also.

"No, no, you must've heard wrong," Sakura stuttered nervously, slowly lowering her hand. "His name is - is…um, Imaki! Yeah, that's it - Imaki. That's his name." She laughed weakly.

Naochi's expression was one of perplexity with a hint of surprise. He blinked. "Uh, sure…whatever you say." Then he shook his head a infinitesimal amount. "But it's weird, don't you think, that they have those same red eyes? Creepy, if you ask me."

Sakura bowed her head in defeat.

"Hey, what's wrong? You look kind of sad…"

The kunoichi wasted no time in escaping; she stood up, thanked Naochi for the time, and, in a flash was at the door, then out it.

She just barely heard Karin yell in a whiny tone, "Sasuke-kun, where're you going? We haven't even ordered yet!"

Sakura only got five feet out of the restaurant before a pale hand came down on her shoulder, and she turned to meet a pair of spinning Sharingan eyes.

* * *

Itachi watched vaguely from the shadow of a tree as Kisame rewrapped Samehada. The Mist-nin took his time, careful not to rip any pieces of cloth on the sword's shredding skin.

"Getting bored, Itachi?" Kisame called out, a hint of amusement in his rough voice.

The Uchiha shrugged his shoulders minutely and moved to examine his fingernails. He decided they needed a new coating of nail polish. In a few areas the black was chipped, ready to fall off.

Maybe he would ask Sakura to do it…when she got back from her outing, of course. Because women were better at that sort of stuff, right?

Itachi's brow furrowed. He wondered what she was doing, if she was having fun. Maybe her food had gone bad. Then she would come back, because surely Sakura was too kind to trouble people with another order.

Itachi opened his mouth, about to ask Kisame if he knew any jutsu that could rot food over a long distance, and then closed it.

"Uchiha!"

His head snapped up at the sound of leaves crunching beneath sprinting feet. A flurry of russet and black came bursting from around a tree, skidding to a stop at Itachi's feet.

Judging by the way Kisame went on cleaning Samehada, Itachi guessed that he couldn't see the fiery cat.

"Uchiha, come quick!" Desunei - in her small form - exclaimed. "Sakura, she's…I can't risk exposing my existence to him…"

"To who?" Itachi asked calmly. (Kisame glanced up, decided that his Akatsuki partner had finally, completely lost it, seeing as he was talking to thin air, and, with a slight shake of his head, went back to work.)

This time the Tigress fixed him with a straight, intent stare. "Your bratty little brother."

Itachi blinked.

"So what are you going to do about it?" Desunei growled, her claws flexing in and out.

"Nothing." The Uchiha's voice was monotonous and unworried.

"What the hell do you mean, 'nothing'! She could get seriously hurt!"

Itachi went back to examining his nails. However, a small, blithe smirk - so insignificant you had to squint to see it - grew on his lips as he said, still ever-so-blandly, "Sakura can take care of herself."

The Tigress looked for a second like she wanted to kill the Uchiha right then and there, but slowly her murderous eyes took on a gleam of understanding. She thrust her chin up and spun around, walking dutifully away from him.

"Whatever you say, Uchiha, whatever you say." And with that, she disappeared in a puff of smoke.

* * *

"Who are you?" The words were spoken silkily, softly, but in such a way that a lion glides forward before the blood bath begins. Venom coated in sweetness, fangs hidden behind closed lips.

Sakura desperately tried not to shiver at his remote words. "My name is H-Haruhei Sakaiya," she whispered, careful not to get caught in his merciless gaze.

Sasuke's pale hand slipped from her shoulder and came to rest upon his sword's hilt.

"Really?" He said the word slowly, no emotion whatsoever present as his head tilted to the side a fraction.

She gulped, and nodded.

_You're doing it again. You'll actually allow him to have this much control over you?_

_…how pathetic._

_How…annoying._

Sakura kept her gaze focused on Sasuke's exposed neck. Stopped her trembling. Took a deep breath.

And in her mind, she responded to the voices with a clipped, curt "Shut up."

"Yes, and who might you be?" She fixed a perfect, warm smile on her face, her eyes turned into little half-moons as she spoke. She leaned more of her weight to her right foot and placed her hand on her hip.

Sasuke only continued to stare at her with those numb eyes.

But Sakura wasn't fazed. "Oh, please excuse me for being so rude. Let me explain myself further. I am Haruhei Sakaiya of Kumogakure. Pleased to meet you." She held out a steady hand, still smiling.

He pointedly raked his eyes down her body - though she knew, him being the ninja he was, that the second he saw her he would have categorized everything to be noticed about her - and she remembered that she had no hitai-ate to prove herself.

And then Naochi appeared in the doorway; his eyebrows drew together as he took in Sakura and Sasuke's close proximity. "Sakaiya-san, are you all right? You rushed out of there pretty quickly…"

Sakura's teeth clenched together, but she forced her smile to remain on her face. "I'm perfectly fine - in fact, I was just about to leave. Would you like to walk with me, Naochi-san?" Of course she would not leave someone in danger because of her.

"Sure, if that's all right with you…" His gaze kept on flashing between Sakura and Sasuke; the latter of whom didn't take his narrowed Sharingan eyes off the black-haired kunoichi.

Sakura stepped swiftly away from the Uchiha, watching his body to make sure he wasn't about to attack. Just before she reached Naochi, she turned back and bowed to him. Her lips twisted into a sardonic grin as she rose and said, "It was nice meeting you…Uchiha-san."

He didn't even move a muscle, but something akin to irritation brewed in his eyes. He then leaned against a wall behind him, arms crossed across his chest, as Sakura grabbed Naochi's hand and hurried down the road.

Sasuke waited until his teammates appeared through the doorway. He remained silent through Karin's anxious questions and Suigetsu's rude comments. Only when they became silent did he fix them with his cold eyes and order, "Stay in the town until I get back and do not draw attention to yourselves."

"Why?" Karin asked, confused. "Where are you go -"

But he had all ready disappeared.

With a sigh, Suigetsu lowered himself to the ground and whipped out a set of cards as if from thin air. "I'll deal," he said in a slightly bored tone.

Karin let out an indignant huff. "Bring it on."

* * *

"We need to leave," Sakura exclaimed when she burst into their camp site with Naochi - looking flustered - in tow.

"What for?" Kisame asked lazily. He appeared quite content just lying on his back on a tree branch, gazing at the sky. He didn't even seem to care about a stranger being there.

"Uchiha Sasuke is going to show up here any second now." She had already begun to pack all her stuff (which included a small backpack and nothing more).

"Ooh, your little brother, Itachi?" Kisame now sat up with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Let me deal with him. It'll be fun."

"Allow me to remind you that he is an Uchiha," Itachi said blandly. "We are not so easily defeated." He said it in a way that defended his late clan's power as a whole, and not Sasuke's.

Kisame frowned.

"Never mind that," Sakura ordered. In her mind, she added, _Idiots_. "Get your stuff packed, and then we'll leave."

"You're going to avoid the confrontation?" Itachi's voice came out softly, yet Sakura felt as if she were being reprimanded to some huge extent.

She froze in her hurried movements, taking deep breaths to calm herself. In an equally quiet voice, she answered, "Is right now really the time for it?"

He didn't respond. And it was that silence that convinced her more than anything. With a slight clench of her fist, she turned around and headed back the way she came. "Stay here, Naochi-san. Don't do anything stupid. And you"- she pointed to Kisame -"don't eat him."

The Mist-nin looked offended.

She didn't have to say anything to the Uchiha - she just locked eyes with him for a brief moment, a moment that conveyed so many unutterable things, and then continued into the forest.

* * *

Sakura watched him come. He traveled gracefully, arms trailing easily behind him, his large sleeves giving the effect of wings.

White wings that did not suit him well.

Sakura sat on a low-hanging branch as she waited for him. She had already dispelled the genjutsu around herself, and her pink hair fluttered about in the growing wind. She'd also brought out her hitai-ate - the metal now shined proudly upon her forehead, not hidden in the layers of her hair as before.

There was no going back. That thought went around in little circles in Sakura's mind as he slowed down in front of her, coming to a stop no more than fifteen feet away.

She didn't look at him, only swung her legs back and forth, listening to the swirl of the wind through the leaves and the steady hum of nature. Her voice, when she spoke, was quiet and gentle. "I don't want to fight."

Silence.

"And I hope you don't want to, either."

No response.

Sakura leaned her head against her arm, knowing that if he'd wanted to kill her, he would have done so already. "You're still the same, aren't you, Sasuke-kun?" she muttered under her breath. Then she paused, thought for a second, and squeezed her eyes closed.

She had called him Sasuke-kun.

Damn it.

"What do you want?" she snapped, lifting her head up quickly. She narrowed her eyes at him.

_Ba-bum._

But no matter how angry she might've been with him, her heartbeat would not slow in pace. She couldn't guess whether it was fear, anxiety, anger…or happiness at being near him.

_Ba-bum._

"I want to know where Itachi is." Sasuke's voice came out rather quietly, but it resounded in Sakura's ears, echoing.

She swallowed.

_Ba-bum._

"And how would I know anything about that?" she responded easily.

"Sakura," he drew out. (It sounded so much like the way he said her name back when they were genin.) "Tell me where my brother is."

Before she spoke her next words, she fixed her eyes at his feet, just to be careful. That way she could tell what move he would make. "…or else what?"

She grabbed the branch and threw herself to the ground a millisecond sooner than his hand shot out to grab her neck - fifteen feet covered in one-tenth of a second, and the only warning she'd had was the slight blur of his feet before he'd disappeared.

Sakura looked up, and there he was, about to crash on top of her with his Kusanagi blade positioned behind him. She brought up her kunai to block him.

_Yamato had his kunai positioned and ready for the blow about to be delivered to him by Sasuke's sword._

_Sakura watched Sasuke's eyes flash mercilessly as he said, "Your choice of defense…quite the mistake."_

_And the blade drove into Yamato's chest, cutting straight through the kunai._

Gasping, she side-stepped and attempted to stall the Uchiha with an uppercut to his jaw. But she saw his eyes flash from her face to her fist, and in another blur, he was gone.

She mentally slapped herself for almost forgetting that Sasuke's sword could cut through her weapons - and just about everything beside.

_Water. I need to find water for my jutsu._

_'No, first you need to find your opponent,'_ Desunei calmly instructed._ 'Don't even think of turning your back on him and running. And I wouldn't use the bracelet now if I were you - until you learn how to fully control its powers, it will be of no use.'_

Sakura blinked, having realized that once again she had completely forgotten the Tigress existed. She nodded jerkily and her eyes began to flit from tree to tree.

_'Why do that when you can hear him better?'_

The kunoichi let her eyelids pull down a small fraction, and sent chakra into the tiger's eye on her bracelet to clear her mind. With the clarity, she took slow, shallow breaths and kept herself perfectly still.

The leaves rustled through the leaves…a bird chirped fifteen feet to her left…a breath was taken in…

…not her breath.

She caught sight of the bright red colors of the fireballs and swore immediately before she jumped quickly out of the way, flipping and leaping her way through the branches of the trees around her. Her eyes widened when one fireball passed by her face not more than two inches away and continued on, only to envelop a tree and begin eating its way up the trunk.

Smoke rose in the air, its heavy smell filling her nostrils.

"Sasuke, please stop," she yelled into the seemingly empty forest, hating the way her voice cracked a little at the end. "I told you I don't want to fight!"

"Then tell me where he is," a soft voice responded right behind her.

Without even thinking, Sakura whipped around to meet his crimson eyes. His…spinning…crimson eyes…

She blinked.

And stepped back shakily, her hands reaching out behind her, searching for anything stable to rest herself against.

Her fingers clutched around cloth. Arms came to wrap around her chest, pulling her against a lean body. She felt cool, calm breaths on top of her head, mildly stirring her hair. The smell of winter wind and pine trees chased away her anxiety.

Relief flooded through her body.

"Itachi-sama," she exhaled, and rested against him.

"Sasuke," the elder Uchiha called - his voice didn't raise, yet the word seemed to travel immensely - "I believe it would be wise for you to leave us alone."

The only sign of Sasuke's fury was a slight clenching of his fist and the mad spinning of his Sharingan. "_Itachi_." He said his brother's name with inconceivable vehemence.

Itachi's matching eyes gleamed with a melancholy sadness so hidden that only Sakura - as she twisted her head to look at him - could see.

"Farewell, little brother," he said quietly, and together they disappeared with a teleportation jutsu.

* * *

They landed beside a tree next to where Kisame was slinging his sword onto his back. Ten feet away, Naochi nervously picked at his fingernails while his gaze flitted from space to space.

Itachi stepped away from Sakura, and with a low voice instructed, "Gather your things. We are heading east, to the Lightning Country."

Sakura stood still for a second before she turned on him, livid. "And now I guess you're going to avoid the confrontation?" she asked, her eyes demanding an answer.

Itachi held her gaze without any emotion. "It is a confrontation that I now realize you are not yet ready for. This is for your sake, not mine."

"You think I'm not strong enough to handle him? Is that what you're saying?" She ground her teeth together.

"You have many things to learn before you will be ready to face the Sharingan," he replied flatly. "Speed, skill, and experience are not in your favor as of this moment."

"How long until they will be?" she questioned, dropping her eyes from his.

"…time will tell. For now, we focus on the present, and not what lies in the future." He placed a steady hand on her head. She almost fell over from the shock. "Do you think you can do that?"

"Hai," Sakura whispered.

"Good. Are you ready to leave?"

She nodded, and his hand fell back to his side.

"What are we gonna do about him?" Kisame droned, pointing a pale blue finger to Naochi, who continued to stare at Sakura and Itachi.

Sakura turned to the silver-haired ninja, a small, inviting smile curving on her lips. (To this he blushed furiously.) "Naochi-san," she said, "I think that under these circumstances, it would be best for you to travel with us. I will not allow someone's life to be endangered because of me." She raised her eyebrows a bit as she met Itachi's ostensibly lifeless eyes. "That is, of course, if it is all right with you, Itachi-sama."

He didn't respond for a few moments as he stared at Naochi somberly. To Sakura's surprise, the silver-haired ninja met him eye-to-eye, his own sapphire orbs narrowed in a silent challenge.

"He will be yours to take care of," Itachi replied curtly to Sakura, and spun on his heel, heading away from them.

Naochi turned to the kunoichi with his eyes gleaming contentedly. "So I guess we'll be stuck with each other for a long time, ne?" He smiled.

Sakura grinned back, genuinely glad that she had found someone sane in the chaotic world she knew far too well. "Yeah, I guess so."

* * *

The four of them traveled east at a quick pace with Itachi leading, Naochi and Sakura in the middle, and Kisame keeping guard from the back.

About an hour into the journey, Naochi leaned toward Sakura and asked quietly, "I'm still confused - is his name Imaki or Itachi?"

Sakura laughed. "It's Itachi. I'm sorry about that earlier…there was just a little mishap between that man and I."

"You know him?"

"…I'm not too sure about that anymore," she whispered.

Ten feet ahead of her, Itachi's eyebrows furrowed slightly.

* * *

When the sun began to set, Sakura insisted on taking a break to refill their energy. Naochi eagerly shared some pocky sticks with Sakura, and she was more than willing to accept.

Meanwhile, Kisame gnawed on a slab of dried fish.

And throughout Naochi and Sakura's laughter-filled snack, Itachi watched them with his cool, vacant, Sharingan eyes.

* * *

It was midnight. The black sky above hid their movements while the waning moon provided just enough light to travel by. Millions of stars competed with the peaceful silence - a silence broken only by the soft _pat_ of their sandals as they leapt from branch to branch - for beauty.

Sakura watched (to do this she had to squint) the crimson clouds on Itachi's cloak wave back and forth from the speed at which he traveled in.

She found it odd how he took it upon himself to lead when, during any other situation, he would probably prefer to keep eyes off him. Nevertheless, Uchiha Itachi was a leader, not a follower. Maybe he hated to watch others' backs from behind.

It was a mere second after that thought that Sakura found herself gaining speed. She added more muscle into her leaps, and in a short period of time had caught up with the Uchiha.

Now side-by-side with him - with only about a yard between them - she had to work to keep her newly set pace. She ignored the burning in her thighs and instead directed all her focus on what lay before her.

Itachi glanced at his apprentice, placidly curious. She caught his eye and offered him a tiny smile before turning back to the darkness.

They continued like that, at the same speed, no one trying to outdo the other, until the morning came.

And Sakura knew that she neither had to watch his back or him hers, but rather work alongside him, together.

* * *

_Without pain, the world would not be_

_For here, in our pain, lie the answers to life_

_Knowledge we gain, insight we receive_

_But some pain is too opaque to distinguish_

_There is no way to tell what it might convey upon our minds_

_And we find ourselves, ever so gently, fading into_

_Obscurity_

* * *

**A/N: **I am so sorry. It has been far too long since I've posted. *bows* Feel free to mentally slap me.

And I know this chapter wasn't too great (I know you all were probably expecting so much more), but my brain has been fried. Literally. Because school sucks like that.

Well, aside from that, Linkin Park's new CD, A Thousand Suns, sucks too. I'm sorry if you liked it, but to me…bleh.

Now, I feel as if it is my duty as an authoress to make sure you are entertained while waiting for a new chapter to come out. So, I will recommend to you guys two animes (or manga, whichever you prefer to watch or read) to keep you busy (because God knows how long the next chapter will take me). Also, there will only be two for right now because I know that I hate it when there is a huge list to choose from - but that's just me.

1: Skip Beat - currently my favorite; you should really check it out :D

2: Hanasakeru Seishounen - completely different from anything I've seen; worth the time

Again, I am so sorry for taking so long. I will definitely try harder to get the next chapter up earlier (and make it longer - I hate how short this one is!). As always, thank you for reading, and I would highly appreciate it if you would review! :D Until next time…


	8. Halcyon Epoch

_This is what I thought, I thought you'd need me_

_This is what I thought, so think me naive_

_I'd promised you a heart, you'd promise to keep_

_Kiss my eyes and lay me to sleep_

Excerpt from "Prelude 12/21" by AFI

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto or any AFI songs...

**Silent Sacrifice Chapter 7: Halcyon Epoch**

* * *

"Itachi-sama, you have very pretty nails," Sakura observed wishfully as she held his hand up to examine it closer.

The Uchiha frowned at her. "Is that a good or bad thing?"

She laughed. "Of course it's a good thing. A lot of women would kill for your nails."

He blinked, a sign of his blatant confusion at the strange ways of the opposite sex.

Sakura just sighed and continued with the black nail polish, sweeping the brush in tiny movements over the Uchiha's nails.

Itachi watched her face as she worked, his head rested comfortably in the warmth of her lap as she sat, cross-legged, on the ground. She leaned forward slightly so as not to pull his arm off.

She caught him staring, her neck growing hot. His eyes never left hers - intent and dark, the Sharingan was replaced by his intimate coal-black orbs in one of his brief moments of vulnerability.

Sakura cleared her throat. "All right, then," she said. "How about we train after your nails are dry? I still need to work with the Ephemeral genjutsu."

"As you wish." His eyes fell shut.

The kunoichi blinked.

'_He seems quite content,' _Desunei observed mildly.

Sakura's cheeks flushed. "Um, Itachi-sama?"

"Hn?" He only opened his eyes a sliver to peer at her.

She smiled a little at the content she saw, and responded, "Never mind…it's nothing."

With a slight downward quirk of his lips, he closed his eyes again.

'_You know, it really is a novelty that he trusts you like that.'_

She smiled full-on this time, her hand reaching out to rest on his hair, threading it through her fingers. He didn't move - if anything, he grew more motionless.

…_I know._

* * *

The familiar whiz of kunai came at her from above, and she crouched behind a bush as her substitution log was pelted with them.

"_Doton: Hakai-tekina Rokku Hashira_!" The voice came from twenty feet to her left.

She swore when the ground around her began to rumble, huge shockwaves coursing through the packed dirt until the trees creaked and started to fall. She found herself conveniently being lifted into the air by means of a huge rock pillar beneath her. It pushed upward with alarming force until she was at least fifty feet in the air.

Sakura grinned and, without a moment of hesitation, drove her glove-covered fist into the pillar she was standing on. It shattered, the millions of fragments blowing outwards, like tiny dots against the pink afternoon sky. Quickly, she circulated healing chakra through her legs as gravity began to pull her down. She crossed her arms to protect herself from the debris falling alongside her - the pieces cut into her arms, but Sakura ignored their dull burn.

The healing chakra in her legs worked furiously as she hit the ground - at the same time that the shock from such a large fall broke her legs, she was healing them. The little pain that did reach her she brushed off, focusing instead on the plan in her head.

His chakra signature was within a fifty foot radius of her; a good punch to the ground would just scare him further away, and he wasn't close enough for a genjutsu to work efficiently.

_Okay, Sakura_, she thought to herself._ Organize your brain - it's either you do something now or wait for him to make the first move._

With an upward twitch of her lips, she pulled out a handful of kunai and attached explosive tags to them, sending them out three hundred-sixty degrees around her. The detonations of the tags were followed by a muted swear.

As she ran toward the sound, she pulled out two more kunai and sent them ahead of her, forcing him to dodge. He appeared from behind a tree, coming at her with a katana in hand.

Sakura's kunai clashed with his katana harshly - the metallic ring echoed throughout the trees, resounding dully in her ears.

She grinned as he began to push against her kunai with all his might; unfortunately for him, it wouldn't be enough. She quickly sent chakra into her arms and threw him off - he went flying through the air until he landed on a branch several yards away.

In the time that he was airborne Sakura performed a short string of hand signs and thought to herself, _Suiton Suijinheki. _She inhaled sharply, and when she exhaled a blast of water followed from her mouth. The water sped toward his now-still form, breaking into five smaller, whip-like appendages that she could manipulate easily. The moment they reached him, his eyes closed, arms coming up to block the water, and she ended the jutsu. Those few seconds of vulnerability allowed her to gain the advantage, and just as quickly she performed another series of hand signs, running toward him as she did so.

He barely caught sight of her approaching form before her hand shot around him, her two fingers pushing forcefully into the soft skin at the base of his skull. His eyes became unfocused, closing slowly, and he dropped to the ground like a dead weight. Fortunately the branch he'd been standing on was only about four feet above the ground, so he wouldn't be injured too badly.

Sakura exhaled heavily, brushing the light layer of sweat off her forehead. She had nearly perfected her Ephemeral genjutsu, but there were still some things she needed to work on. Thus why she had concentrated more on putting him to sleep than letting him be tortured psychologically. The amount of chakra she had used should be able to leave him unconscious for another good hour or so.

With a sigh (and an inner rejoice at her victory), she heaved Naochi's body into her arms and carried him back to where they were camped - in a small, natural cave carved into the side of a pillar of rock. By the look of the clouds rumbling overhead with the promise of rain, it had been a smart choice. In the distance lightning struck furiously, true to the Lightning Country's name.

Sakura glanced at Naochi's sleeping form. She had told him about her situation with Akatsuki the day after they'd left the small village near Sound. He'd taken it all in with little commentary (by this she was shocked), and had explained that he was also a missing-nin. From what country she did not know, as he had not told her. However curious, she respected his need for privacy, and did not question him further.

A frown was now apparent on his face, and she suppressed a chuckle. Apparently her training with Itachi yesterday had helped immensely - however close to perfection she was, only practice would help. Maybe Kisame would let her train on him.

She continued to the cave, laughing at the mental image of a sleeping, drooling Kisame.

* * *

Their journey continued to the very outskirts of the Lightning Country. Light genjutsus were more than enough to fool the guards on patrol (the genjutsus were needed, for Itachi and Kisame were not quite inconspicuous in the shinobi world).

After traveling for a good week, the group made camp on the north-west side of the large peninsula, where the ocean was easily visible. Sakura assumed that Itachi had specifically chosen this area so she could practice more with her water ninjutsus.

They stayed there for a few days before beginning to cut across the country, avoiding large towns and only once in a while taking refuge in a motel. Training, eating, and sleeping were basically all Sakura's schedule had to offer.

She often wondered how easily it came to be traveling with two first-class criminals and a less frightening missing-nin. Everyday, however repetitive, was filled with warmth and smiles (the smiles only made by her and Naochi; she was lucky if she got a smirk out of the Uchiha, while Kisame's maniacal laughs were too fanatical to ever be considered any type of smiling).

Sakura never wanted those days to end.

But even through the warmth and happiness, Konoha called to her.

* * *

An ambush - the perfect start to a perfect morning.

…sarcasm, anyone?

Waking up to the sound of leaves crunching underfoot immediately set her off; she easily knew it was none of her own team - (she had to pause for a second on this one; calling them friends seemed too childish, yet anything other than teammates didn't suffice with her) - mates. Itachi was too silent for his own good; Kisame, despite his bulk of a body, was just as quiet; and Naochi preferred to travel above ground, in the trees.

Needless to say, Sakura was pissed.

It was near midnight, and Itachi was still doing whatever the hell he had left to do about two hours ago. Kisame was snoring - ever the oblivious type (at least when sleeping) - on the ground to her left, while Naochi lightly breathed to her right.

As the crunching came closer, her eyes snapped open and automatically adjusted to the darkness of the night. She could clearly see the forms of three men - she loathed to call them shinobi, seeing as they obviously had no experience in the art of stealth - creeping toward her through the shadows of the trees. A piece of metal on one of the men's heads flashed briefly from the light of the dying campfire.

Ah. Missing-nin (known from the slashes on their hitae-ates) from Suna.

They were now about thirty feet away from her. She debated on whether to start a bloody fight or just simply ensnare them in a genjutsu.

The former, to her and her brewing anger at being woken up, seemed much more interesting.

She silently grasped her newly-acquired katana from her weaponry belt and positioned it readily in her hand. And within a second she had pushed herself off the ground and was darting towards them.

_Gaara, this is for you, _she thought gleefully as she cut them down, one by one.

* * *

When Itachi returned from his "outing" (a few beers did a man good once in a while), he was not expecting to find three men hanging from a tree by their tied hands, unconscious and bleeding.

There was a note attached to one of the men's forehead.

It read: _I fought them, now you get to deal with their bodies._

_-Sakura_

_P.S. I took their money, and I am not sharing._

_P.P.S. You owe me for my lost beauty sleep._

The Uchiha blinked, and he frowned, but his eyes glistened darkly with amusement.

Sakura was deeply sleeping where she had been before he'd left, her eyebrows creased as if in frustration.

His apprentice had turned out to be quite the little kunoichi.

* * *

"Kazekage-sama, we have a visitor for you."

Gaara glanced up from his paperwork - the endless piles that seemed to multiply everyday - and said to the guard, in his low, rough voice, "Allow them to enter."

Bowing slightly, the guard held the door open, and, to Gaara's surprise, the Godaime Hokage came striding through.

He could instantly tell she was not happy.

"Excuse me for interrupting, Kazekage, but would you care to explain to me why three unconscious bodies of your men were found at the borders of Konoha?" Her golden eyes flashed with irritation.

Gaara's own moss green eyes narrowed. "I've had no warning of this, Hokage-sama."

"Well, now you have!" she growled. "I've had them transported over here - they're not mine to deal with. I expect a filed report on this once it has all been taken care of - it's the least you can do for causing me so much trouble."

Just as she turned to leave, her black-haired assistant of sorts burst through the door, completely ignoring the flustered guard whom she had knocked aside. "Tsunade-sama! Come quick! I just found a layered genjutsu on one of the men's bodies - it's too strong for me to unravel."

Tsunade's curiosity piqued. "Were you able to track down the chakra signature left behind, Shizune?"

The woman frantically nodded, eyes wide with a mixture of fear, astonishment, and, above all, hope.

"Well, whose was it?" the Hokage asked impatiently.

Shizune gulped. "Uchiha Itachi's."

Tsunade disappeared out the door in a flurry of green robes.

Frowning, Gaara and Shizune followed.

* * *

_Tigress, do you really think Kisame is a good test dummy? I mean, he could kill me if he wanted to._

The kunoichi stared, hidden behind a bush, as the Mist-nin busied himself with writing on a scroll. He seemed to be writing a lot of letters recently, she noted vaguely.

'_Like he would even dare to touch you. The Uchiha would murder him,' _Desunei responded surely.

Smiling a little, Sakura began to focus her chakra around the stones on her bracelet that didn't represent the five elements. The now-familiar rush of emotions bombarded her, but, from experience, she was able to control them quickly. Harmonization flooded her body, and she willed her chakra into the blue chalcedony and dravite on her bracelet (the blue chalcedony for water, the dravite for earth). They both symbolized Kisame's elements.

Less than two seconds before she had begun the jutsu, she was inside the Mist-nin's mind.

The clarity the tiger's eye had bestowed upon her allowed her to pick her way easily through his mind, while at the same time masking her presence so much so that he would never dream of detecting her. She wove out of his sub-consciousness (it served as a barrier to any foreign things - it was the only thing that could sense her, yet it would only alert Kisame is he was sleeping; even so, she would probably be mistaken as part of a dream) and into his present thoughts, where, through his mind's eye, she caught a slight glimpse of what he was writing - only to see that it was written in code.

After a moment of thought, she shook her head, cursing her own idiocy. She was in his mind, and therefore knew exactly what he was writing, for his brain knew the code.

But the contents of his letter were not relevant to her in that moment. This was a training routine, and she needed to focus.

Her own mind sifted through the various ways she knew (thanks to Desunei's lessons) how to incapacitate a person from their mind and their mind alone. She could completely halt his thought process (his mind was at her mercy now), which would render him incompetent to perceive what was going on around him. Another way was to place random or misleading thoughts into his head - almost like a genjutsu (however, this jutsu required a lot less chakra and a lot more concentration and skill) - that would disorient him.

A new idea popped into her head, and she felt Desunei laugh. _'Poor Kisame.'_

Taking in a deep breath, Sakura lessened her hold on her chakra mask so he would be able to hear her in his head if she spoke.

And then she screamed at the top of her lungs.

* * *

Itachi knew Sakura was up to something. Often times, over the past month-and-a-half since their encounter with Sasuke, he would find her sitting alone, cross-legged, seeming as if she was meditating. With his Sharingan on full alert, however, he could clearly see the abnormal, fluctuating levels of her chakra. She was using her chakra to some degree, and he could not see - even _with_ the Sharingan - why.

His curiosity, over that period of time, rose to a level he found to be a novelty.

And so, upon watching her take root amongst the bushes near Kisame, he flooded chakra into his eyes, further increasing the power of his Sharingan. And he scrutinized the way she quickly molded her chakra around the bracelet she wore, the way it flowed naturally around the beads.

His eyes narrowed, and he leaned forward from the cover of a tree (he'd sent the other person - as he referred to Sakura's new friend, Naochi - to get more supplies for their upcoming move; really, though, he just loathed to be around him).

Within the next five seconds, Kisame dropped his paper and writing utensils, and began to clutch at his head. His eyes snapped closed, his teeth grinded together horribly, and his blunt fingernails raked down his face.

A low growl burst from his mouth as whatever he was enduring continued.

Itachi, still hidden, watched with eyes no wider than usual, but filled with a burning need to know what was happening, and why.

Two seconds later, Kisame was left panting as Sakura stood and walked away. Silently, Itachi followed her.

* * *

"Damn, he sure did not make this easy for me," Tsunade muttered, wiping sweat off the ridge of her brow line. She once again wove her chakra into the intricate layers of the genjutsu Itachi had left her. It was placed on the stomach of one of the missing Suna-nin.

Surprisingly, none of the men had woken up yet. A medical examination of their bodies showed they had been knocked unconscious from hits to their heads. Quite amusing, Tsunade found it to be, seeing as their background information showed they had been jonin (however, only such for about a month) before they'd become missing-nin.

Her frown deepened as she continued to try to solve the puzzle. Every route she tried came out to be a dead end. She'd been at it for more than an hour now, and was steadily growing weary.

But it was from Itachi. And in that moment, he was her only connection to the whereabouts of her student.

So, after another fifteen minutes of precise concentration, she broke through the genjutsu. Tsunade opened her eyes to find a folded piece of paper upon the man's stomach.

She snatched it up - not even bothering to check it for potential danger - and the people in the room crowded around her, trying to see what it said.

_My dear Tsunade,_

_How long has it been since you last saw her? Five months, almost six? Time flies ever so fast nowadays. _

_To be blunt, I myself had nothing to do with these men. You can thank your lovely student - or, should I say, _my _student - for the mess that was made. _

_Oh, and do tell the Kazekage to keep a tighter watch on his people. We don't want Suna to end up like Konoha, now do we? _

_How tempting betrayal can be._

_Sincerely,_

_Uchiha Itachi_

_P.S. Don't bother searching for us. No matter how close to you we are (and let me assure you, we are always close), if we don't want to be found, then we will not be found._

Tsunade was silent as she read the letter time and time again. Her hair had fallen forward, shielding her face - and whatever emotion had been bestowed upon it - from the crowd of people.

Then, without notice, she screamed, "_Damn it!_" and vanished out the door.

Gaara, in the split second her face was visible to him, saw a single tear escape her eye.

He knew what it was like to lose someone, but in the Hokage's case, she had not only lost Sakura. He knew from Naruto that her mentor, her former teammate, her lover, and her brother were all gone, never to come back. She had been hurt again and again because of her losses.

And he could tell she was getting sick of it.

* * *

Sakura made her way to their camp leisurely, inwardly rejoicing. She, nothing but a mere chunin, had been able to not only catch an Akatsuki member by surprise, but also render him incapable of responding to the jutsu she'd used on him (she'd also wiped his memories of what had happened).

While using the jutsu, she was only barely in control of her own body (unlike the Yamanaka family jutsu, Sakura, eventually and with more training, would be able to fight and use her jutsu at the same time; so that while she kept her target's mind occupied, she could take care of their body). For now, it would be best to stay hidden while invading a person's mind.

Abruptly, she felt the instinctual sensation of being watched. Warily, she turned around and - her eyes widening - found Itachi standing right in front of her.

"Itachi-sama, is something wr -"

"Sakura." His eyes were alight with something she couldn't name.

"H-hai?"

"Stop referring to me as '-sama,'" he ordered blandly. "I am not above you in any way that would require you to call me that."

Her eyes betrayed her confusion. "But I've always -"

"Sakura," he said slowly, "I am now asking you to stop."

"If that's what you want," she replied warily. "But you couldn't have sought me out just to tell me that. What do you need?"

He frowned a little. "I would like to know what you just did to Kisame," he said flatly.

Her pale jade eyes widened. "You saw?"

His silence answered for her.

Sakura stiffened at his expecting gaze. "Well, telling you now would just ruin the surprise, wouldn't it? You'll learn, eventually."

But even as she spoke the words, she silently hoped they would never get into the kind of situation where she would have to use that jutsu on him; she couldn't decide whether her hope was because she feared it would not be strong enough against him, or because she simply did not want them to fight.

Such a fragile, fragile relationship they had.

And she knew, as she walked dutifully away from him, that that relationship could shatter with the smallest push.

* * *

"Shizune," Tsunade barked, "get me another glass of sake, pronto!"

The black-haired woman winced. "But Tsunade-sama, that was your fourth glass in five minutes…"

The Hokage glared, and Shizune relented, "Fine, but this is your last one!"

Tsunade sighed when her assistant left, and leaned back in her chair, turning to stare out the window. Konoha's lights glittered as the night life of the villagers began. She watched a civilian mother walk, hand-in-hand, down the road with her young daughter.

Tsunade's lips trembled slightly, and she clutched her empty glass closer to her.

"Why, Sakura? If you left this village out of your own will, then at least tell me why. And if the Uchiha really did kidnap you…"

She closed her eyes, tilted her head toward the ceiling.

"…then where are you, Sakura?"

* * *

"Naochi-san! You're finally back," Sakura called to his approaching form. "Did you get everything we need? We're packing up and leaving tomorrow."

He dropped the sack he was carrying at her feet and smiled to her. "Everything's there." He leaned closer to her, whispering, "And I got some pocky sticks for later, too."

Her eyes lit up, and he laughed. "You can have them, but you have to share."

She grimaced.

"Hey, I bought them with my own money" - everything else had been paid for by Kisame and Itachi; Sakura guessed that they had either stolen it, or it was pay from Akatsuki - "so I get some, too."

She stuck her tongue at him, but he just laughed even harder.

"Sakura." Itachi's even voice pierced the humorous atmosphere that had been established.

She turned toward him as he appeared from the forest. "Hai?" she asked, frowning.

Itachi glanced at Naochi - his eyes narrowed so minutely that only Sakura could see - before fixing his Sharingan eyes upon her again.

(A small voice inside her head pointed out the fact that he rarely let his guard down nowadays; in fact, less so since Naochi began traveling with them.)

"Kisame and I have just received a letter from Akatsuki," Itachi began. "We are to meet with our leader at the border of the Fire Country tomorrow at dawn."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "And I take it we have to come with you?"

Itachi smirked faintly. "Of course _you_ must. There's no telling whether or not you will run away." He once again glanced at Naochi. "He, on the other hand, may go back to where he came from."

Naochi glared maliciously. "I'm quite content as I am now."

The Uchiha's eyes smoldered enigmatically, his Sharingan slowly spinning.

Sakura stepped between them, her own fierce glower forcing them to look at her. "Enough, you two. If we're going to continue to travel together, then we don't need any fighting."

Naochi lowered his eyes and mumbled incoherently under his breath, while Itachi just stared at the kunoichi with an unfathomable expression.

She inwardly cursed the both of them (Desunei purred her agreement).

Sakura hastily continued their conversation prior to the argument, "But why the Fire Country? Can't we choose a different rendezvous point?" She tried not to let her anxiety show, but she was sure that Itachi, with his piercing gaze, could see through whatever façade she expressed.

The Uchiha's previous smirk flattened, and he stepped forward to rest a hand on her head. "It is the leader's choice, Sakura. In Akatsuki, no one would dare try to tell him differently."

Sakura locked eyes with him; she nodded slowly in understanding when he removed his hand.

Naochi watched their exchange with a wary gaze, eyes flicking between the two of them every few seconds. "Why does this 'leader' want to meet with you, anyway?" he asked Itachi directly, giving off an aura of contempt.

Curtly, Itachi replied, "I guess we will have to see," before he strode away to begin packing their few belongings.

Sakura glanced at Naochi, who was glaring at the path the Uchiha had taken. "Be nice to him, will you?" she scolded. "He has a very fragile heart."

A moment of silence passed before they both erupted with laughter.

Even the Tigress chuckled a bit - but her amusement only lasted a few seconds.

Because in some ways, that statement was true.

* * *

Shizune finally put her foot down as Tsunade neared her fifteenth glass - the only reason she had let the Hokage drink so much already was because she felt sorry for the woman. She'd thought that after receiving the letter from Itachi, the Godaime had deserved a break.

_Well, _she thought, _break time is now over. _

She had to strangle with Tsunade over the bottle for a good two minutes (how the blonde had been able to even get the bottle completely amazed Shizune) before the latter finally gave up.

Immediately afterwards Tsunade was snoring at her desk, deep in sleep.

But just as Shizune was about to leave, the Hokage lifted her head and murmured, "And, Shizune? Don't let Naruto hear about the letter. There's no telling what he'd do if he saw it." Her head plopped back down, and she continued to snore.

Shizune smiled softly, and shut the door.

* * *

Naruto wanted to stop by the Hokage's office before he got some ramen - if he got what he wanted from Tsunade (which was a mission), then he'd have to stock up to get energy.

That, and he was hungry anyway.

He hopped from roof to roof at a fast pace until the tower was in his view. He decided that the window was a much better entrance than the door, so he knelt beside it as he was about to push his way inside.

But the Hokage's groggy voice - coming through the crack where the window was open a little - halted him before he could move.

"And Shizune? Don't let Naruto hear about the letter. There's no telling what he'd do if he saw it."

Naruto's eyes widened, then narrowed.

What didn't Tsunade want him seeing, and why?

Silently, he pushed the window open further and stepped inside the office, careful not to wake up the Hokage.

His searching eyes rested upon a small, crumbled paper beneath Tsunade's hand.

She would learn to never keep things away from him again.

* * *

**hal·cy·on**

[**hal**-see-_uh _n]

–_**adjective**_

1. calm; peaceful; tranquil.

–_**noun **_

2. a mythical bird, usually identified with the kingfisher, said to breed about the time of the winter solstice in a nest floating on the sea, and to have the power of charming winds and waves into calmness.

* * *

**ep·och**

[**ep**-_uh_ k _or, especially Brit., _**ee**-pok]

–_**noun **_

1. a particular period of time marked by distinctive features, events, etc.

_(Definitions property of dictionary-dot-com)_

* * *

"_We fear violence less than our own feelings. Personal, private, solitary pain is more terrifying than what anyone else can inflict."_

-Jim Morrison

"_There are some people who live in the dream world, and there are some who face reality; and then there are those who turn one into the other."_

_-_Douglas H. Everett

* * *

**A/N: **Finally, another chapter done! Again, I'm deeply sorry for the wait, but I've recently been reading a ton of manga (speaking of which, have any of you seen the anime movie _Princess Mononoke_? If not, then you really should watch it! It's from the same creator of _Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind_, which is probably my favorite anime movies so far; Hayao Miyazaki is a genius 0_o).

Anyway, this chapter was more of a filler. Nothing epic really happens (hence the name of the chapter), but…in the next chapter, Pein will make an appearance! :D (I don't know about you, but to me he's…sort of hot, in a rebellious kind of way; why can't all the hot characters in Naruto be real?) DX

I'd like to thank you all for waiting so patiently, and also for your reviews. Each and every one makes me happy. :)

Until next time…

P.S. And please review!

_Random Your Mom joke: _Your mom's so ugly, it looks like her face caught on fire and your family tried to put it out with a fork. :D


	9. Tempest

_I see nothing in your eyes, and the more I see the less I like_

_Is it over yet, in my head?_

_I know nothing of your kind, and I won't reveal your evil mind_

_Is it over yet? I can't win_

_So sacrifice yourself, and let me have what's left_

_I know that I can find the fire in your eyes_

_I'm going all the way_

_Get away, please…_

_You take the breath right out of me_

_You left a hole where my heart should be_

_You've got to fight just to make it through, 'cause I will be the death of you…_

Excerpt from "Breath" by Breaking Benjamin.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto or any Breaking Benjamin songs.

**Silent Sacrifice Chapter 8: Tempest**

* * *

"Pein," a soft voice came, barely decipherable through the wind that sliced past his ears.

He turned his head in her vague direction.

Konan added an extra burst of speed to her pace, savoring the feeling of the air whipping her Akatsuki cloak into a frenzy. She traveled right beside him, her clear grey eyes focused on the forest. "Tell me again why we are meeting with Itachi so far from home."

Quietly, he answered, "It seems Itachi has been hiding something from us. According to his and Kisame's recent reports, they have been traveling quite often, but at the same time fulfilling any missions I have ordered them to complete." He paused before continuing, "He also requested an object which he could not obtain on his own. I am curious as to why he would want it."

Konan's ceil-blue colored hair lashed against her cheeks as she turned to look at him. He slid his Rinnegan eyes over to glance at her. "Is there something wrong?" she asked.

He opened his mouth to answer, but was cut off when a burst of laughter came from behind him.

"Tobi thinks that Konan-chan needs to stop worrying so much!" the exuberant voice yelled joyfully. "Tobi thinks that _everything _is going to be all right!"

Pein frowned as he stared at the forest before him, picking up his pace even more.

"Tobi can't wait to see Itachi-san! Itachi-san is always nice to Tobi!"

Konan smirked minutely. "You're right, Tobi. I'll stop worrying."

But through the orange mask that concealed his true identity, Madara's eyes narrowed to slits.

This encounter was going to be interesting.

* * *

Under Itachi's orders, Sakura had dyed her hair black (for some reason he wouldn't let her just use a genjutsu). She didn't like the feeling it gave her. With a genjutsu, she could rest assured that her pink hair was just a flick of chakra away. Now, however, the fact that the dye wouldn't come out for another few weeks irritated her to no end.

Thoughts such as these - unimportant and trivial - filled her mind as they waited at the border of the Fire Country. She purposefully forced them to the surface, refusing to let herself fret over the meeting that was to take place.

But her mind betrayed her.

After all, she was about to meet Itachi's superior (adding to that was the fact that they were so close to her home). She could barely comprehend that someone could be stronger than him. Was it possible that there was something out there that could defeat the Sharingan? Or was his leader simply strong enough without a kekkei genkai? She thought…

She glanced at Itachi, who stood beside her, and immediately his Sharingan eyes flashed to meet hers.

…and sincerely doubted it.

Sakura shifted her eyes to her other side, where Naochi stood. She locked gazes with him, and he smiled at her. She grinned softly back before turning to stare ahead of her again.

Naochi met Itachi's eyes, and he glared openly. The Uchiha's eyes narrowed back at him.

The tension in the air dispersed when Kisame complained loudly, "Where on _Earth _is he?"

Sakura turned to him and shrugged, reaching up to brush her hair aside. Kisame grunted in response.

"They're here," Itachi murmured, eyes locked on the darkness of the trees. The day was coming to an end, and Sakura now had to rely on the gentle moonlight to see.

"They?" she asked curiously, peering in the vague direction that Itachi was. "I thought only your leader was to meet us."

His eyes, when she looked at him, had narrowed distinctly.

"Itachi-san, Itachi-san! Tobi is here to see you, Itachi-san!" came a bold, carefree voice.

Sakura's eyes widened, and then her hand came up to smother her laughter. Hearing the stoic Uchiha's name paired with the informal and admiring suffix just seemed utterly hysterical to her.

He frowned at her shortly before turning back to the trees - back to the three dark forms that were now visible. The man in front stepped out from the shadows, his face seeming eerily pale in the moonlight, his various piercings glowing silver. Orange hair was dulled along with the red clouds on his Akatsuki cloak.

"Itachi," he spoke in a neutral voice that was even more impassive than Itachi's - if that was even remotely possible. "Who are these people?"

Before the Uchiha had a chance to answer, another shadow stepped forward, the cheerful voice coming from it. "Tobi is very happy to see Itachi-san and Kisame-san!" the man with the strange orange mask and black, spiky hair called. He rushed forward, flailing noticeably. "Isn't Tobi a good boy?"

While speaking, Madara's eyes ran over the two unknown shinobi standing beside Itachi. The silver-haired one he deemed a waste of his time, but the other…

Pein was mildly shocked when Tobi's ranting came to a sudden halt. He looked over to find the black-haired man staring at one of Itachi's new partners - the dark-haired female, to be exact.

Sakura's eyes widened in alarm - and horror. Of course she remembered what Itachi had told her - of _course _she knew that this seemingly carefree man was really Uchiha Madara.

And he was staring at her, his one visible eye narrowed as he studied her.

Then Madara took a step forward.

A sudden warning burst of chakra surprised him - but what surprised him more was that it was Itachi's. He glanced over to find the other Uchiha gazing at him with narrowed, whirring Sharingan eyes.

The words "touch her and you will regret it" were easily discernable.

So Madara reverted back to his Tobi persona with the intentions of doing everything he could to piss Itachi off - and to find out why the girl was with him in the first place…the girl with the marks on her skin that warned him of something dangerous.

Tobi gasped and rushed forward only to throw his arms around the black-haired girl. "Tobi is so lucky! Tobi has found a very pretty girl! She is just as pretty as Konan-chan!"

Sakura stiffened with wariness - one moment she had glimpsed the person Tobi really was, and the next he was in disguise again. But he didn't know that _she _knew, so she had the advantage.

Sakura glanced at the orange-haired Akatsuki leader, then at the form that was now beside him. She was shocked to see that it was a woman, tall with face-framing pale blue hair and metallic grey eyes. Sakura assumed it was Konan, as Tobi - who was still attached to her - had said.

Konan was staring at her with an assessing gaze, and Sakura averted her eyes to focus on the problem before her.

"O-okay," she said uncertainly to the man still clinging to her. "You can let go now."

Tobi rubbed his mask against her neck. He complained, "But Tobi is so _happy_. Tobi doesn't _want _to let go."

She hesitantly placed her hands on his chest and tried to dislodge him. He didn't budge.

"Well, _I _think that Tobi had better move away," Naochi's warning came from beside her. She turned to see him glaring at Tobi.

Tobi released her. "Ooh, is this Pretty Girl's boyfriend? Tobi is so sad! Tobi thought that Pretty Girl liked Tobi!"

Sakura threw the Akatsuki member a look that read, "You are freaking insane."

Naochi's cheeks, in the meantime, began to tinge with red.

* * *

Away from the group, Pein turned to the other Sharingan-wielding shinobi. "Itachi," Pein said flatly, walking to stand in front of the Uchiha (who had been glaring at Tobi). "Explain yourself."

Itachi slowly shifted his gaze to his leader. "Wouldn't it be more convenient to discuss this in private?" he suggested, voice equally detached.

Pein nodded faintly, and together they disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Sakura's head snapped up at the sound of their departure, freezing in the act of watching Kisame happily smack Tobi on the head with his sword (Naochi stood to the side, glowering at the scene).

Sakura's eyes narrowed at the small trace of smoke left behind. She wondered how much Itachi was going tell his leader…and she wondered at the consequences of that telling. An unwelcome shiver passed through her body, for she knew this was neither the time for her to leave Itachi or to die.

She sensed a gaze upon her, and turned to meet Konan's grey eyes. Cautiously, she stared back.

The blue-haired kunoichi lowered her eyes, and slowly slid down to sit cross-legged on the ground, her back resting against the trunk of a tree. After, she lifted her eyes to stare at the darkening sky.

Sakura smiled marginally, and took such a vulnerable move to be an invitation. She quietly walked over to Konan, and placed herself beside the other kunoichi. The Akatsuki member glanced at Sakura for a moment before continuing to gaze at the scarcely visible stars.

Sakura allowed herself to relax, and continued to observe Naochi, Kisame, and Tobi as they brawled with each other.

* * *

Wind created havoc around him, causing him to lose his sense of hearing, and forcing tears out of his eyes. The speed at which he traveled at should have fatigued him by now, but his anger only fueled his energy.

How _dare_ the Hokage try to keep something so infinitely important to him hidden? Sakura was _his teammate. _He _needed_ any scrap of information he could get about her; he desperately craved any sign that could assure him of Sakura's safety. Tsunade _knew _that, and yet she had tried to keep it from him.

It was all he could do not to start screaming. His rage was overwhelming, controlling, blinding…

Naruto clenched his fingers together, and slowed to a halt before the Kyuubi's chakra could begin to manifest. He felt the sinister power rising to the surface and understood it well enough by now to know that if he _did_ let it reign over him, the end result would be horrific. He breathed in and out repeatedly, concentrating on calming his senses.

That was, until a voice called with a hint of surprise, "Dickless?"

Naruto's head snapped up, and he scanned the surrounding forest warily (inwardly appalled at how far from the village he was - while running, he hadn't been too aware of his location) in search of the voice. "Is that you, Sai?"

A figure materialized before him, revealing Sai's lean, fake-smiling form. "Why are you out here alone, Dickless?" the dark-haired ANBU member asked impassively. "Did you get lost?"

Naruto seethed. "No, I did not get freaking lo -"

He paused, eyes widening, as he remembered that Sai had been away on a solo, S-class mission for the last six months (he silently pouted at the sight of Sai's virtually unharmed form). "I forgot," he whispered, despair clouding his eyes. "Y-you don't know about…"

"I don't know about what?" Sai questioned, seemingly trying to force the tone of curiosity into his voice.

Naruto turned his head away and clenched his teeth, his hands balling into fists. At the same time, he pushed back tears. "About Sakura-chan being kidnapped…"

Sai blinked.

And blinked again. "Well…that it certainly unfortunate," he stated.

Naruto whipped back around and grasped the other shinobi by his neck. Body trembling, he growled, "You _asshole._ How can you say that? Sakura-chan was your teammate!" Tears now rolled down his whiskered cheeks unabashedly. "I don't care how emotionless you are; you at least have to feel something! You should feel sad and lonely and…and…"

Slowly, he loosened his tight hold. His eyes lost their passion, and he spun on his heel and began to walk away - away from the village and away from his teammate. "I'm leaving," he informed Sai callously. "You can go back and tell Tsunade-baachan, but I'm going to leave either way. I'm going to find Sakura-chan."

Naruto's muscles tensed as he prepared to leap into the dim forest, but then Sai's voice called out to him, "May I come with you?"

* * *

Itachi locked eyes with Pein, and they stared at each other mutely. Slowly, without breaking eye contact, the Uchiha reached into his cloak and pulled out a small white scroll - tied closed with a green ribbon - and offered it to the Akatsuki leader.

"Her name is Haruno Sakura," he stated, ever stoic.

Pein eyed the scroll before he rolled it out and read it quickly - the scroll held all of Haruno Sakura's information from her time in the Hidden Leaf Village; and, as he noticed, there were a few recent things written down in black ink: her classification as a shinobi had been changed from B-rank to A-rank, the number of her mastered jutsus had increased, as had her number of weapons, and, obviously, her age. But what shocked him the most was that a new section had been added under her listed blood type:

_Demon container: Fujin na Tora Seishin_

His brows furrowed slightly. "Why have you not informed me of this?"

With a small smirk, Itachi responded, "Would you have let me?"

Pein narrowed his eyes. "The Fujin na Tora Seishin could be a great asset to Akatsuki, and yet you placed it inside a child?"

"She is more than capable of harnessing such power," Itachi said frigidly.

"Wouldn't it be…more convenient, so to speak, to kill her and use the power first hand?"

"No, it would not," Itachi replied curtly.

Pein raised an eyebrow imperceptibly.

"The Tigress is difficult to contain, and impossible to control. Only by her approving was I able to lock her away, and she was the one to decide who was to be her host. She chose Sakura, and I doubt she would be too happy with us if we tried to do so otherwise."

Pein scrutinized Itachi, his Rinnegan eyes hypnotic as he stared. But the Uchiha's face gave nothing away. With a small outtake of breath, he asked, "If what you say is true, then so be it. However, what of the other traveler? The male?"

Itachi's eyes hardened, and although he was anticipating the loss of Naochi, he knew Sakura would not be happy. But he had to say it. "…the male is not needed. I merely kept him around to provide entertainment for Sakura."

Pein nodded. "Then he shall be eliminated," he said flatly, and paused. "But before I go, here is the item you asked for." He held out his hand and dropped it in Itachi's palm.

The Uchiha tilted his head slightly in thanks, and the Akatsuki leader vanished in a puff of smoke.

Inwardly, Itachi dreaded seeing the look on Sakura's face. Hopefully she would not be so angry once he gave her his present.

Slowly, he opened his fist and examined the small, unmoving summoning peregrine falcon.

Hopefully, she would forgive him.

* * *

"Dickless, do you have any clue where we're going?" Sai's bland voice vaguely reached Naruto's ears.

"Just shut up, will you?" His eyes darted back and forth, searching for anything with pink.

"Searching like this won't get you anywhere," Sai called. "You need a track, a scent, something to go off of -"

…and then a scream reached their ears.

"What are you - _no, stop! Naochi-san!_"

Silence.

Then: "_I'll kill you!_" The voice was distinctly female - inconsolable, enraged, and screeching.

Naruto knew that voice. That voice yelled at him whenever he did something overly idiotic. _That voice _had haunted his dreams for the past six months. That voice had called out his name and Sasuke's so many times all those years ago - when they were in trouble, about to die, or just simply because she wanted to.

Her voice.

He began to sprint in earnest, faster than he ever had before.

Her voice.

He reached a small clearing in less than ten seconds.

Her voice.

And he saw her. One of his two best friends. One of his most precious people…

…Sakura.

* * *

Naochi was dead.

Her mind kept repeating that sentence, circling in her head, poignant.

She felt her fangs grow out, and she bared them slightly. The golden marks on her cheeks began to sting, but she ignored them.

Naochi was dead. In his own pool of blood. Lying there…motionless, lifeless, and limp.

With a kunai - one simple kunai - lodged in his heart.

Dead.

She lunged at his killer with the intent of ending his life, also. She ignored Kisame's hand that reached out to stop her, and she ignored Desunei's wild pleas.

The orange-haired Akatsuki leader stared at her dispassionately as she rushed him.

But a voice halted her clear in her tracks.

"_Sakura-chan!_"

Her eyes flew open from their narrowed position, and she felt Itachi's chakra appear in the clearing.

Slowly, she turned toward the voice and was met with wide, royal blue eyes. "Naruto…"

* * *

_Know nothing, yet see everything_

_Think of water, and feel the heat_

_Cry a tear, erase the track_

_Be yourself, yet know no recognition_

_Fight until blood runs, heal the wounded_

_Memories are precious, so never forget_

_Love is fragile, so hold it carefully_

_Pain is forever, so tolerate it with no fear_

_Death is inevitable, __so live until dying is worth it_

* * *

**A/N: **I am very sad, my readers. So many of you have added this story to your favorites/story alerts, but almost none of you have reviewed! D: Of course, to those of you that did, I am forever grateful. You are all amazing, and thank you for your support! :D For the rest of you, it only takes a couple seconds to write a review - even just one word is fine! I would really appreciate it if you would let me know your thoughts. If it's to point out a mistake, then tell me. I want to know how I'm doing so far (I'm pretty new to this). So, again, PLEASE REVIEW!

Well, beside that, I'm sorry for such a short chapter. I just wanted to get it out there. I'll get the next one out as quickly as I can (if you get bored, check out my one-shots; they should at least be able save you from monotony). :D

Until next time!

_Random Your Mom Joke: _Your mom's so fat, when she asked The Mattress Store for a water bed, they threw a blanket over the Pacific Ocean.


	10. Emerge, Perish, and Begin Again

_I cannot change that day_

_Go back, erase what happened, ease that pain_

_There's none to blame, no steps to take_

_And even though we may not understand_

_But one day, I'll see you face to face_

_Then we'll say things we meant to say_

_It's too late for now but not always_

_We'll meet again and then we'll start from these unfinished memories…_

Excerpt from "Unfinished Memories" by Éowyn

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto or any Éowyn songs.

**Silent Sacrifice Chapter 9: Emerge, Perish, and Begin Again**

* * *

Naruto stared at his teammate in awe, his lips parted, his eyes wide. She gazed back, a flicker of shock radiating in her pale jade depths. Her hair had been dyed black, and there were now strange gold marks - almost like claws had raked down her cheeks - on her face.

But it was still her. Still his Sakura-chan.

"Naruto, what…what are you doing here?" Her voice barely reached his ears; her words flowed together into the light breeze, soft yet full of suppressed anxiety.

"I'm here to bring you back, Sakura-chan," he said, his voice cracking, and took a step toward her, thinking it was obvious that he had sought her out to bring her back to Konoha.

"Oh…Naruto…I-I'm afraid that's -"

"Sakura will not be returning to Konoha anytime soon," the shadow about twenty feet to her left said frigidly before he stepped into the soft light of the moon.

Naruto ground his teeth together, and his muscles tensed, ready to leap. "I'm going to kill you, you freaking bastard -"

"Naruto, please stop," Sakura pleaded, her voice still quiet.

"But Sakura-chan," Naruto said incredulously, "don't you want to come back? Don't you want to come to Konoha?"

Her eyes hardened along with her voice. "Of course I do! Of course…"

Naruto frowned. "Then why…?"

"I refuse to allow her to leave," Itachi explained flatly.

Naruto froze for a second, and then he finally felt the overwhelming swirl of the Kyuubi's chakra fester inside him.

Vaguely, he heard Sakura's startled cry of "No, Naruto, stop! Don't let it control you -" before his mind went blank.

* * *

Itachi didn't even blink as the jinchuriki rushed him. He simply stared - eyes void of emotion - at the boy's crazed form.

"Itachi-sama!" he heard Sakura yell (he frowned slightly - he thought they'd had the whole "Itachi-sama" conversation before). "Don't let him touch you - the Kyuubi's chakra will scorch your skin!"

Although he had all ready been planning on moving, he disappeared only to reappear next to the kunoichi's anxious form. For a short second, he was tempted to say, "Nice weather we're having, isn't it?"

But of course he didn't, for he was an Uchiha, and Uchihas did not ask such mundane questions.

Instead, he whispered to her - as the enraged Naruto whipped his head back and forth, searching - quietly, "If I must remind you, you are not to call me '-sama' -"

Her eyes flashed to his as she said harshly, "That is not relevant at this moment, _Uchiha-san_." She turned to stare at Naruto, who had just found them and had begun to rush forward. "Now's my chance," she muttered, and Itachi saw the twist of her chakra over her bracelet.

She closed her eyes, heard Desunei tell her "He's a wind type, Sakura. But don't worry - I'll be there with you" and became enveloped in Naruto's mind.

* * *

A harsh growl burst into her ears, and she flinched slightly. The area around her was shrouded with black and crimson, the air pierced through with the dark presence of overwhelming power.

Sakura strained to see before her, her eyes squinting. Her fingers reached out to touch something, anything -

"Ahhh," a deep, baritone voice growled. "I see. Desunei, is it now? It's been far too long since we've last reconciled."

The kunoichi froze as she sensed movement to her right. Subtly, she could see the faint outline of Desunei's colossal form. The Tigress stood at least a hundred feet tall, and Sakura could barely pick out the smooth, rippling pigment of her russet fur.

The Tigress sighed wearily. "Let the boy go, Fox Demon. You're destroying his body - and his mind."

The Kyuubi laughed, harsh and abrupt. "And who are you to tell me what to do?" His voice reverberated throughout the space.

Now Sakura could see the distant form of bars - it looked like a cell.

A sudden, furious snarl burst from Desunei's chest. Her tone turned from calm to enraged - tired to deadly - as she roared, "_Let the jinchuriki go!"_

A wave of power washed over Sakura; it was heavy, almost damp, and held the promise of demolition and chaos. Her eyes widened as the scene before her finally became fully visible.

Far ahead of her, the Kyuubi - trapped in his confining cage - pulled his lips up in a snarl, his glowing scarlet eyes resonating fury in its most potent form. Beside her, Desunei's very own force - an overbearing, wispy mass of deep green and shining gold - flooded the tight space.

The echo of the Kyuubi's enraged cries pulsed through Sakura's head as the scene faded away.

* * *

In the real world, no more than three seconds had passed. Sakura opened her eyes to see Naruto's unconscious form slumped upon the ground, the last of the Kyuubi's red chakra swirling into the boy's seal on his exposed - his clothes had been almost completely destroyed - stomach.

She rushed to his immobile, bleeding form, and gently took his head in her lap. She healed most of his external wounds within a minute, and knew that the rest she would have to leave to the Kyuubi's healing power - Naruto's internal wounds were covered with the demon's chakra, and she did not want to risk having her own chakra tainted in any way.

When she had completed her job, she turned to the watching group: Kisame, frowning and silent; Itachi, stoic and watching her with hooded crimson eyes; Pein, detached and emotionless; Konan, her eyes filled with a faint, melancholy gleam; Tobi, silent with his one inquisitive eye; and…

Her eyes flew open even wider as she whipped around to face the forest behind her. Just as she was about to call out, Sai stepped into the clearing, his gaze immediately scanning over the area with a calculating wariness.

Finished with his brief - yet irrefutably thorough - assessment of the group, he turned to Sakura, his eyes turned into half-moons as he smiled his fake smile and said, "Hello, Ugly. I see you've altered your hair color. I guess it was for the best - that hideous pink hair you used to have only made you more repulsive."

Sakura's eyebrow twitched, but she forced herself to act calm as she responded lightly, albeit through clenched teeth, "Sai, _what _on Earth are you doing here? Hell, what are _either _of you doing here?" She gestured vaguely to Naruto, then to Sai's own, black-clad figure.

"We came, of course, to retrieve you from the Akatsuki," he answered, glancing once again at the five members of said organization. "But I'm guessing we'll be leaving empty-handed."

"Sai, I -"

He cut her off. "The Hokage will hear of this, Sakura. Everyone in Konoha will know of your defection."

She drew in a rapid breath of air, her lungs seeming to collapse within her. If only Naruto had not come, if only they hadn't seen each other -

"Then so be it," Itachi said, placing a hand upon her shoulder. His eyes flashed with the invitation of a threat. "Let the people of the shinobi world know that Haruno Sakura is traveling with the most dangerous ninjas on the face of the planet." He paused. "It will only increase her reputation."

Sakura stared at her teacher, her lips parted slightly, her eyes wide.

When she turned back to her teammate, she thought she saw surprise flicker within the black depths of his eyes. But it was gone before she could fully comprehend what she had seen.

"Ugly…" Sai trailed off, looking thoughtful, before he continued quietly, "you will come home one day, right? You'll return to Konoha?"

She swallowed before nodding once, her fists clenching. It seemed as if her voice had disappeared.

Sai smiled, fake as ever, as he stepped forward to retrieve Naruto's unconscious body. Sakura allowed her palm to linger on Naruto's cheek until Sai fully had the blonde in his capable arms.

And, with a final synthetic grin, Sai vanished into the approaching night.

"Ya know, what I don't understand is why we didn't just capture the jinchuriki brat right then," Kisame exclaimed, his rough voice musing. "Would've saved us a hell of a lot of work later on, don't you think?"

"Yes," Pein answered slowly. "However" - he turned to face Sakura - "I believe containing him until it is time for the Kyuubi's extraction will be too difficult, especially considering that we have lost many members in such a short period of time.

"In addition" - his eyes held Sakura's unblinkingly - "I believe that for now, we all ready have a great power with us to be used."

Sakura felt tears begin to form in her eyes. With another glance at Naochi's fallen body, she bared her teeth slightly and spat, "I will not be _used_ - not by you, not by anybody. Come, try to control me, and you'll see." She glared, even as a stray tear escaped her eye and her breath came in heavy gasps.

"Sakura," Itachi warned quietly from beside her.

Finally, a hint of emotion appeared on Pein's face as the corner of his lips tilted upward in a barely distinguishable smirk. "One day, maybe. Continue with your training, and one day we will see how strong you are."

She clenched her teeth, the tears now falling unbidden, and then opened her mouth to respond.

But Pein had all ready disappeared in a whirl of chakra, along with Konan. Only Tobi was left, and he gave her one last piercing stare before vanishing, also.

Slowly, Sakura moved to stand over Naochi's dead form. And slowly, she lowered herself to him, and cried into his cold chest.

* * *

"Are you…feeling all right?" Itachi's question came out awkward and hesitant - however, it made Sakura smile a little to hear him voice some amount of concern. Truly, he was not heartless. She knew that by now.

"Yeah," she said softly. "I'm fine. But - before we go, I would like to bury Naochi-san's body. It's the least I can do for him."

Itachi frowned faintly. "Would you like my assistance?"

"No, I can do it myself," she answered, her eyes locked on Naochi's body. "You and Kisame go ahead and find something to eat. I'll be fine."

He opened his mouth, then closed it. With a frown still apparent on his face, he walked away, Kisame next to him.

"I am so sorry," Sakura whispered when she was sure they were gone. "I am so sorry I pulled you along with me. I should've just left you somewhere safe."

She laughed harshly. "And now you're dead."

She glanced around, and decided that instead of just creating a large crater in the ground and throwing him in it, she would find a shovel and do it the old-fashioned way.

With a hefty sigh and a new, throbbing hole in her heart, she began to pick her way through the forest.

* * *

She found one leaning against an abandoned house on the outskirts of a small village less than two miles away. It was large and rusted, but its condition was the least of her concerns.

She spent a good hour digging the hole, not wanting to rush on something so symbolic and melancholy. The whole time, she kept her mind blissfully empty of any thoughts. Her lips were set in a straight line, her eyebrows smooth, her face relaxed. Only her eyes - churning with unsettled rage and grief - betrayed what she was experiencing.

But she shed no tears, voiced no sobs. She only kept her mind blank, and continued on with her work.

* * *

They set out the next day at noon - the sky was clear, the air was fresh, and the birds were chirping happily.

Sakura smiled. "Isn't it nice out?"

Itachi glanced at her before focusing ahead of him again.

"These birds are really damn annoying," Kisame stated, glaring at a sparrow that had flown past him.

Sakura chucked a kunai at him - he dodged easily. "Shut up! You're ruining my good mood."

Kisame just chuckled quietly.

"Anyway," Sakura sighed, "where exactly are we headed to?"

Itachi pulled out a crisp scroll and rolled it out, holding both ends tightly so it would not flap around because of his speed.

"Your leader gave you a mission?" she asked, gliding closer to him to take a look.

He rolled it back up before she could see anything.

"We are to travel due east, to the Water Country," he answered flatly. "And Leader-sama did not give me a mission."

Itachi met her eyes steadily.

"He gave _us _a mission."

* * *

"Excuse me," she called, her eyes wide and frightened. "I just arrived here - could you possibly direct me to the nearest motel?"

The man she had spoken to turned around to face her. "Go find someone else, kid. I'm busy right now."

"But surely," she said slowly, her eyes lowering, "you can help a lost girl find her way on the streets?"

"I said no!" the man spat callously. He returned his attention to the many scrolls before him.

"Well, that's a shame," she remarked, and her chakra flared slightly as she formed her chakra scalpel. "I was really hoping you could help me."

The man snorted.

Sakura focused her eyes on a scroll that was peeking out of the man's pouch around his waist. "So, I hear you're a pretty brutal man, Hanao-san."

The man's hand stopped writing. "How do you know my name?"

"You've killed dozens of people, correct?" she said, not answering his question.

Hanao jumped up from his chair and turned to face her, a dull blade evident in his hand. "If you say one more word," he growled, "I'll slice you in half."

She raised an eyebrow in response before continuing on with her diagnosis. "And it also seems that you are the owner of some powerful, forbidden scrolls."

He lunged forward, the blade sweeping toward her, but she propelled herself in the air to land behind him, her chakra scalpel positioned right where his heart was through his skin. "I'm so sorry," she said (she had to focus to make sure her voice would not tremble), "but for some reason, the Akatsuki want those scrolls you have, and they want you dead - and they want me to make sure it happens."

She drove her scalpel into his flesh - it cut through tendons, bones, and muscles until it finally cut his heart in half.

On the outside, no signs of his wound were visible, which was exactly what the mission had ordered: kill the man, and leave no trace whatsoever behind. Her scalpel had been perfect for the mission.

No blood dripped, no flesh showed, as the man sank to ground, dead.

By the time someone entered the small shop and found his cold body, Sakura was far gone.

* * *

"Nicely done," Itachi said, ever stoic, as he checked the small number of scrolls Sakura had returned with. "These are exactly what the mission ordered for."

"And did you and Kisame complete your part of the mission?" she asked.

Itachi nodded slightly, his gaze fixed upon her.

When she smiled, it wavered a bit. "I didn't enjoy that," she said quietly. "That man I killed - he still deserved to live, even if he was not exactly a good person…"

Itachi blinked.

"Why did I have to be the one to kill him?" she wondered aloud, her voice rough.

"You could have just objected the mission," Kisame intervened.

"And taken the easier path?" she said, glowering at the Mist-nin. "I might've said that I'm not going to be used by him, but to reject a challenge like that would show weakness. I used that as a training session, so to speak. Who knows?" she asked softly. "Maybe one day this experience will be useful to me."

To Itachi, in that moment, she matured just a little more.

* * *

That night, they made a small fire on the sand at the edge of the ocean. Itachi let Sakura wear his cloak (after many refusals on her part and many emotionless stares on his) to protect herself from the biting wind that blew fiercely in their direction. Kisame fell asleep instantly on the soft white sand once they settled down.

Sakura drew the cloak further around her body, relishing in its warmth and breathing in Itachi's potent scent - the faint aroma of pine trees, winter wind, and something more, something heady and intoxicating that she could not quite place. Her eyes watched the fire, but at the same time did not really see it.

Beside her, Itachi sat completely still, his tied hair blowing gently in the ocean breeze.

They sat in undisturbed silence for a good five minutes before Itachi reached his hand into the pouch around his hips and pulled out a small object that was obscured to her eyes.

"I nearly forgot," he remarked, ever emotionless. "This" - he dropped the object into her now-opened palm - "is for you."

Her brows furrowed as she studied the small figure in her hand. It looked like a bird, with a curved black-and-yellow beak and long, sleek, light-grey feathers. Its wings were tucked at its sides, its eyes closed. The bird almost could pass for a stuffed animal, but it was too realistic in detail to be anything as such.

Gently, she sent a small string of chakra into it, probing.

The bird's eyes opened, and its wings ruffled slightly.

"W-what is it?" she breathed, holding the bird's form closer to her face to study it.

"A summoning peregrine falcon," he responded, his eyes trained on her.

She sucked in a quick bout of air. "Really?" At his nod, she asked, "But why is it so small?"

"Once you complete the summoning pact and sign a contract with your blood, you will be able to call upon his true form with a low amount of your chakra. He is small right now because no contract has been signed yet, and he is not in his full form."

The falcon rustled its feathers and blinked before closing its eyes and going still once more.

"What size is he in his true form?" she questioned inquisitively, drawing the falcon inside the Akatsuki cloak to keep it warm.

"In his true form" - Itachi smirked faintly, his gaze focused on the dancing fire - "he will be able to carry you on his back, even when flying."

Her lips parted. "Amazing. Where did you get him?"

His smirk flattened. "I have my sources."

Her brows furrowed, but she disregarded it. "Does he have a name all ready?"

Itachi looked thoughtful for a moment before answering, "Hayasa. I believe that is what he is called."

"Hayasa," she repeated softly, her finger gently running over the falcon's sleeping form. And without a moment of hesitation, she leaned to the left until her head rested upon Itachi's shoulder. "Thank you, Itachi," she whispered (inwardly proud of herself for not adding the '-sama'), her eyes staring into the restless fire. "I will definitely treasure him."

Itachi remained utterly motionless as she gradually relaxed against him, and her breaths came slower.

"…you're welcome, Sakura."

* * *

In the morning, Sakura woke up to find Itachi frying six fish over the fire with a long stick. As she sat up from her place on the sand, his Akatsuki cloak pooled around her hips. She yawned loudly. "I see you all ready caught breakfast," she remarked, rubbing her eyes.

His eyes shifted to her before returning to the task in front of him. To his left, Kisame was staring into the ocean with a blank expression.

Slowly, she stood up and walked over to them. "Here you go," she yawned, holding out Itachi's Akatsuki cloak for him to take. "It's not too cold today, so I don't need it. Thank you for letting me use it, anyway."

"Hn," he responded, removing it from her hand and situating it upon himself.

"Well, aren't we the social ones this morning," she muttered to herself as she walked away to get herself cleaned up. "Honestly, it seems like I'm the only normal one around here."

'_If you mean normal as in the demon-containing, pink-haired, friends-with-murderers sense, then yes, you are most definitely normal,'_ Desunei drawled.

Sakura smiled to herself as she found a nearby stream and began to discard her clothes. _Exactly._

* * *

"All right," she said, stretching her arms over her head as she swallowed the last of her fish. "What's the agenda for today?"

Kisame waved a lazy hand a her. "Today is my day off. I'll be at a bar." He paused. "Don't come looking for me if I'm not back by tomorrow morning." With a grunt, he hefted his large blade onto his back and disappeared into the forest.

"Be careful!" Sakura called, her voice lilting. She laughed a little before she turned to Itachi. "And what's our schedule?"

"Starting today," he answered slowly, "I am truly going to begin to teach you what you need to know in order to survive whatever comes your way - including Sasuke."

She frowned in confusion. "Then what has all the other stuff so far been for?"

"Those were just to add a few more jutsu to your arsenal." He motioned for her to stand closer, and she obeyed. "What you learn from now on will determine what type of shinobi you will become in the future, so pay attention."

She nodded, flexing her fingers.

"First," he continued flatly, "we will start with your new summoning. Do you have him with you?"

She reached into her kunoichi pouch and grasped Hayasa gently, holding him out for the Uchiha to see.

In response, Itachi unrolled a yellowed scroll filled with writing - the only blank spot was directly in the middle: a circle that would perfectly fit her hand.

"Set the summoning on the ground," Itachi ordered, and she did so. "Now, use your kunai to slice open your right palm, only enough to draw blood."

Void of hesitation, she whipped out her kunai and drew it across her palm, making sure her blood began to flow.

"Coat the blood over your left palm," he instructed.

She obeyed, her heart rate increasing in anticipation.

"Place your palm on the scroll."

And so she did.

Suddenly, the kanji written on the scroll began to swirl in a circular motion, gradually increasing in speed until it became just a large blur.

On the ground, to her left, she noticed something moving, but kept her eyes focused on the scroll as the symbols finally slowed and came to a halt.

She removed her hand, sensing it was right, and a crimson print of her hand outlined in black was left on the scroll.

Finally, she glanced to her left, and then she found it hard to breath.

Beside her stood Hayasa, now at least fifteen feet tall and twenty feet long. His feathers were silver - the tips were black, as if they had been dipped in ink - and they gleamed metallic in the morning light. His eyes, now open and large enough for her to distinguish, were a deep shade of orange mixed with various shades of red, gold, and yellow.

He was beautiful.

Abruptly, the large falcon spread its wings and stretched them, as if with great relief. He shook himself, several feathers floating in the air afterward.

And then he spoke. "So you are my new master?" he asked, his voice smooth like water.

She nodded, eyes wide.

Hayasa bowed his head slightly to her. "I am very honored to be in the hands of the Hokage's apprentice. It is nice to meet you, Sakura-sama."

She quickly bowed back, shock still coursing through her. "Nice to meet you, Hayasa-san."

"Please," the falcon said, "just call me Hayasa."

"Then please," she responded, a small smile on her face, "just call me Sakura. There is no need for honorable suffixes."

"As you wish," Hayasa obeyed, lifting his head up. "And you, Uchiha-san" - he focused his molten gaze on Itachi - "it is definitely a surprise to see you."

The Uchiha just stayed silent before he turned to Sakura. "Are you ready for your true training?"

"Hai," she said, determination shining in her pale jade eyes.

A soft smirk found its way upon Itachi's lips.

"Then let us begin."

* * *

**A/N: **Hello again! :D First of all, I would just like a say a little something about the earthquake in Japan. I'm praying that all the people who are lost and not yet found out there will be safe, and I'm praying for the all the families who have been destroyed. I'm just glad that America is such a giving country and that there are all ready hundreds of relief funds to donate to here in the United States. Let us all hope that Japan will come back bigger and stronger than ever before. :)

Second, I thank all of you who reviewed, and I really hope you all share your thoughts with me this time around. Now, I know that there are over forty people who have this story on their story alerts, and I'm really hoping that you will each leave a review. Please? And it's true that your reviews give me motivation and make me want to write more. So, please, please, please review! :)

Next: if you're thinking that having Sakura kill a person is a little cold, think again. In the Naruto series, she had all ready killed Sasori, and as a kunoichi, she was bound to come across an assassination mission sometime or another. Plus, I wanted to give her a little experience. But don't worry - I don't plan on having Sakura become a cold, uncaring person later on in the story. I'll try to keep her overall happy personality intact. :)

Oh, and that excerpt at the beginning of the chapter was from the song that inspired me to write my one-shot "Unfinished Memories" (hence the name; aren't I original?). It's a really beautiful song - if you have the time, you should look it up.

Anyway, I hoped you enjoyed this chapter, and I shall see you all next time!

Sincerely,

Silver Echo


	11. Advance into Oblivion

_I am the voice in the wind and the pouring rain_

_I am the voice of your hunger and pain_

_I am the voice that always is calling you_

_I am the voice _

_I am the voice of the past that will always be_

_Filled with my sorrow, _

_And blood in my fields_

_I am the voice of the future_

_Bring me your peace_

_Bring me your peace, and my wounds,_

_They will heal…_

Excerpt from "The Voice" by Celtic Woman

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto or any Celtic Woman songs.

**Silent Sacrifice Chapter 10: Advance into Oblivion**

* * *

Fire burned silently as she watched. The flame, so tenuous and finite, waved back and forth, each time threatening to vanish forever.

Its soft golden, orange, and red hues reflected brightly in her jade eyes as she stared at it unblinkingly. Sleep nowadays failed to come easily to her - she had to wait patiently in darkness until sleep came with nothing but the sound of her companions' light breathing and the perpetual hum of night: water rushing in a stream nearby, crickets chirping, mice and rats dashing from one point to another as they were hunted by the soundless owls above.

But tonight was different. They were settled at a motel (last time she checked they were in the Wind Country on another mission), and she was left alone in her own private room. Itachi and Kisame were in the room adjacent to hers.

Any sounds became muffled through the thick, stone walls. And so she was left in silence, awake and waiting in her bed for sleep to capture her.

The flame continued to burn from where it waved from side to side on the candle on the table beside her bed. Its gentle determination fascinated her, and she did not want to look away.

But, eventually, darkness overcame her vision, and she succumbed to her dreams.

…and the fire burned on.

* * *

Over the last year and a half, he had taught her many things. She learned gradually, followed his every instruction, never once faltered in her training. She learned, she accepted, and she grew as a shinobi.

Over the last year and a half, she had become someone worthy to be by his side.

* * *

_He taught her the consequences of arrogance_

"Arrogance only ever leads to defeat," he said coolly, his eyes locked on hers. "Never - not even for a second - doubt that your enemy is dangerous. Something unexpected can happen at any moment that you might not be prepared for. Learn your opponent, know their movement and patterns, before you do anything else. Underestimation as well as overestimation can be deadly - you have to memorize anything you can while you can."

She nodded, her brain storing the information away for future references.

"Hai, Itachi-san."

* * *

_He spoke to her of covertness_

"Today's lesson," he began, ever stoic, as they made their way through a forest densely packed with bushes and trees, "is stealth. You must always remember that stealth and furtiveness can determine the outcome of a battle."

She grumbled as a branch caught on her sleeve. She slowed for a second to untangle it. "Are you going to demonstrate, O Great Master of Secrecy?"

She didn't receive an answer, and when she glanced up, he was nowhere to be seen. Slowly, a smile grew on her face, and she used the tiger's eye on her bracelet to calm her mind. It allowed her senses to open up and become aware. She began to listen - her eyes searching - for any sound of his passing.

"Demonstration it is, then."

* * *

_He forced stamina upon her_

"How," she gasped, "many more" - she inhaled rapidly - "laps do I" - she coughed - "have to do?"

He watched as she sprinted past him (she swore she saw amusement flicker in his obsidian depths) from where he sat on a low-hanging branch.

"I'll tell you when to stop," he responded, the corner of his mouth tilting into a small smirk.

She glared at him from over her shoulder.

Maybe he should have waited another week before adding the ten-pound weights to her ankles and wrists. But his musing thoughts faded into a soft form of pride as he watched her steadily increase her speed, challenging herself to do better.

He would add another five pounds tomorrow, just to see her reaction.

* * *

_He taught her to recognize her intuition_

"As a shinobi, your instinct is never wrong," he said softly from where he faced her at the other end of a small clearing. "Listen to what your heart says without a doubt. Although your mind and logic may say something else, your intuition will always pull through." He held her gaze unblinkingly. "Trust me."

Sakura smiled back. "Of course."

* * *

_She learned to fly_

"All right, now to the left, Hayasa!" she yelled, and then laughed with pure joy as she felt the wind slice past her, felt the air cool as they climbed higher and higher into the atmosphere.

When she was sure they were a good couple thousand feet from the ground, she wrapped her arms around the falcon's neck as tight as she could without choking him.

"Now, dive!"

Hayasa screeched, then snapped his wings tight to his body, and they plunged downward.

Sakura just continued to roll with laughter.

* * *

_He preached what he knew: speed can accomplish almost anything - use it and improve it_

A slew of kunai flew toward her, and in her mind Desunei gave warning.

But Sakura had all ready known they were coming.

In a flash, she dodged, and whipped around to block the sudden kick Itachi aimed at her stomach. The back of her neck prickled, and she launched herself to the left, effectively saving herself from the water jutsu Kisame had so graciously sent her way.

One after another, attacks came at her, and one after another, she dodged and retaliated, her movements almost a blur.

And she grinned, knowing that even at that speed, she still had her fifteen-pound weights attached to her limbs.

_Lee_, she thought, _now I know what kind of training you went through to become so strong, so fast. It's admirable, really._

She could only imagine the bright smile that would adorn his face had she told him that herself.

* * *

_Keep a wary eye on your levels of chakra, he taught, and find the quickest way to end a battle_

She eyed the sword that arched toward her with a clinical wariness. She had two options: either use her new _Kokuangyo no Jutsu _that Itachi had just taught her to send her mission target into complete darkness, or swiftly end the battle with taijutsu.

With a hefty sigh, she darted to the right - her opponent's sword became impaled in the ground where she had been standing - and wrapped her hand around the hilt of the sword. Her momentum spun her around, and her foot connected with the man's jaw. As she landed on the ground once more, she used her strength to yank the blade from the ground and drive its tip straight through the man's heart.

Even though she could have used her genjutsu to disorient her opponent, her chakra levels were surprisingly low from the intense training Itachi had put her through earlier that morning, and she did not want to risk completely depleting her stock.

Plus, purposefully extending a battle led to arrogance, and - if anything - she did not want that.

* * *

_Desunei, too, trained her in the ways of a shinobi_

"Remember, Sakura," the Tigress said, her semi-physical form shimmering in the luminous moonlight, "that there are always more jutsu to be created. Never think that you must always learn a justu or technique that has all ready been used. In a way, creation is more vital than repetition, for a completely original jutsu will guarantee the knowledge that your opponent won't know anything about it." The Spirit paused. "Just remember what I said, and think about it. You'll be surprised at what can come to you."

Sakura's brows furrowed, her mind contemplating all ready, as she nodded.

Three days later she ate at a small onigiri stand ran by an elderly lady with a thick head of grey hair, and she kept thinking about how much the lady reminded her of Chiyo. The memory of the Sand-nin's solemn death played in her mind.

And then the idea came to her.

Over the course of a month, Sakura's mind whirled as she experimented with her chakra and went through various ways to make her jutsu work until finally, she became successful.

The next day while training, she pushed herself especially hard to nick Itachi's skin even just the smallest bit. Apparently her work over the months paid off, for not only did she nick the Uchiha's skin, but rather created a deep gouge at least a quarter-inch deep and three inches long.

With eyes alight with anticipation, she approached him - their training match paused - and took a hold of his injured arm. Her brows drew together as she focused her chakra ever so carefully, and then -

Itachi's eyes widened by the most minuscule degree.

His wound was gone, vanished as if it had never been. But Sakura had done this to his injuries (however few and far between) before without much effort, so it was not the accuracy of the healing that shocked him.

Rather, his wound had not been healed, only transferred. The large gouge she'd created was now apparent on her own arm, as is he had been the one to harm her. He blinked, and then locked his blank gaze with her radiant one.

"It's a new jutsu I've created," she answered to his unspoken question. She smiled a small smile. "Well, more like I've altered another. It's a less fatal form of the _Kisho Tensei _jutsu. Rather than trading a life for a life, I just take an injury upon myself. It's far faster and requires almost no chakra as compared to an actual healing." She shrugged. "I figure it can be used in a dire situation. Say, for example, if I'm almost completely out of chakra and my comrade has a critical injury, I can just transfer the wound onto myself."

Itachi frowned slightly. "Isn't that dangerous?"

Sakura focused her chakra and began to heal her arm. "Well," she mused, "considering that the original jutsu was a kinjutsu, I would have to agree." She smiled again. "But I'm sure it will come in handy one day."

Later that night, Itachi lay awake, his eyes focused on the back of Sakura's pink head from where she slept beside him on the forest floor.

He frowned, knowing that with her caring, loving nature, that jutsu could one day kill her.

* * *

_He further expanded her knowledge of her own body_

"Is this a chakra-absorbing paper?" Her voice was curious as she studied the small, thin object.

Itachi nodded. "Although you are all ready shown to have an affinity for water, I thought it would be helpful to have your affinity confirmed."

Sakura's eyes were eager as she gently released her chakra into the paper. Instantly, the paper became damp in her hands. She grinned. "Surprise, surprise."

The Uchiha watched her with calculating Sharingan eyes (no matter how many times she told him he would go blind if he continued to use his power, he refused to listen). "You may have an affinity for water," he said slowly, "however, it is not uncommon for shinobi to master another element. Although, it is usually only high-ranking jonin who actually accomplish it."

She blinked. "So you're saying I could possibly _learn _another element?"

He smirked minutely. "I did not copy various Earth jutsu needlessly. Your friend that died - Naochi, was it? - had some very basic Earth jutsu in his arsenal that you could learn easily."

She frowned. "You watched us spar so long ago?"

When he spoke, his eyes flashed. "I had to keep track of my student's progress."

She met his gaze unflinchingly, and, after a moment of silence, sighed heavily. "Never mind that - let's just get to the Earth jutsu training. I've been dying to learn some elemental justu other than water."

* * *

_Never let your emotions rule you, he taught; stay calm, always_

"Now, I am going to layer a heavy genjutsu on you. Do not try to evade it, as I know you can. Just calm your mind, and do not let your emotions get out of hand. Focus without panicking. Analyze without your heart rate speeding up. Control your breath while you move. Keep your expression neutral at all times, and only change it if for an act. And remember: your emotions can cause you to do things that might just be the death of you."

* * *

_And his last lesson, after the many critical comments and endless days of training, she would remember the most: _

_Strive for peace, and all will end well_

* * *

The next morning she woke up, and the flame still burned on. The wax of the candle had diminished to nearly half its original size, but it still lived.

Sakura stared at it for a moment before she turned away. The rest of the day was waiting for her to fill it, and so she changed into her training outfit and exited the motel, entering the cool morning haze with a soft yawn.

She closed her eyes, emptied her mind, and then flashed her eyes open once again before taking off into the surrounding woods at a blurring sprint.

Her morning warm-up never ceased to get her ready for the day to come.

* * *

That evening, Itachi sparred with the pink-haired kunoichi one-on-one. He attacked with a genjutsu, and she repelled it easily. When he came at her full-force with taijutsu, ever quick, she dodged just as fast and every so often managed to land a hit on him. His _Katon _was set against her equally powerful _Suiton_.

Finally, however, the Uchiha called the fight off when the sun began to sink toward the horizon. He patted Sakura on the head - to which she smiled softly - and told her to go back to the motel and wash up.

"Tonight," he said, smirking slightly, "we shall relax."

* * *

And so she ended up in front of a mirror, deftly working her now medium-length pink hair into a bun, wearing a pure white kimono (picturing a light gold tiger wrapping across the bottom) coupled with a shimmering gold obi.

In Sakura's mind, Desunei purred her approval. _'The man has good taste.'_

"I'm still shocked that he got this for me," Sakura admitted. Her eyelids lowered, and she gently caressed the white silk with her fingers. "But it is beautiful."

A knock sounded at her door.

"Come in," she called, sensing Itachi's chakra.

The Uchiha walked in, and immediately his eyes ran over Sakura's form. She had to physically restrain herself from blushing (_keep your emotions under check_) at his open assessment of her body.

Finally, he walked over to her and placed his hand on her head, carefully avoiding the bun. His eyes were soft, a gentle obsidian. "You look beautiful," he said quietly.

She averted her gaze, fighting another blush, and swallowed. "So, where are we going?"

He removed his hand and instead held it out to her, offering (looking back at him, she noticed that he was wearing only his blue shirt with the mesh underneath, standard of the Akatsuki, and his usual black training pants - she suddenly felt very over-dressed, but then again, he himself had chosen her outfit for her). She took his hand in hers hesitantly.

"You will see," he answered, and began to lead her away.

* * *

They ended up at a small local bar - ancient, but with a classy feel. Red and black lanterns were strung across the balcony in front, and the base wood of the building was dark and spoke of many memories.

Sakura glanced up at Itachi, questioning, but he just pulled her forward and into the darkened room. Scattered across it were many tables, coupled with people of various shapes and sizes. Chatter filled the room along with a trio of musicians set at a small, raised stage in the far corner. A light haze of smoke permeated the air, but Sakura thought she smelled a hint of incense mixed within it. To the left of the room stood a bar in which every seat was taken.

Itachi led her to the less-populated part of the area. Sakura giggled to herself when he pulled out her chair (chivalrous was not a word she commonly associated with the Uchiha), and smoothed out the folds of her kimono as he took his seat across from her.

Itachi leaned forward and placed his chin atop his folded hands. "What would you like to eat?"

And the circumstances were so amusing that Sakura had to force herself not to chuckle again.

* * *

It was several hours later that Itachi announced that it was time for them to depart. Both of them had refused to have alcohol (hangovers were never good to have while training), but despite that, Sakura concluded that her evening with Itachi was the best she'd had in an extremely long time.

The Uchiha led her out the door and around to the back of the building, where the forest began. Soft music drifted from the bar walls, and the light from the lanterns in front barely allowed for visibility.

Sakura gazed at the small sliver the moon had become. And, for some reason, the thought that Naruto and Sasuke could be looking at the same moon right then saddened her.

_Soon, _she thought. _Soon, everything will come together._

The sound of Itachi's monotone voice - that lately, however, had lost its rough edge - brought her back to the present. She turned to find him standing in front of her, the moon and shadows of the trees making him seem ethereal, with his left hand extended toward her.

"May I have this dance?"

His eyes, like so many times now, were not the deep red of the Sharingan, but rather a subtle obsidian.

She smiled, and it was genuine.

Gently, she placed her hand in his, and he pulled her body close to him, the pure silk of her kimono swaying at the movement. She rested her head against his chest - felt his steady heartbeat against her cheek - and whispered, "Of course."

Together, as one, they danced across the forest floor, under the stars and moonlight, between the trees, their feet never faltering, their hands clasped, and together, as one, they escaped from reality.

If only for a moment.

* * *

The next morning she woke up to the vague sound of Kisame's snoring from the room adjacent to hers. She smiled a little - how typical of him. With squinted eyes, she glanced out the window and was surprised to find that it was still dark outside. Only a few streaks of the golden morning light could be seen far off in the distance.

She yawned wholeheartedly, and stretched out her back, flexing her arms. Then she slumped a little, and turned to gaze at the candle - still burning valiantly - beside the bed. It was almost down to its last inch of wax.

She stared at it. And stared and stared and stared.

Finally, the sun pierced through the sky and gradually coated everything with soft gold.

Sakura closed her eyes.

But still, the imprint of the light remained on her eyelids.

And she slowly, ever so slowly, opened them and stood up, then began to walk around the room and collect her belongings.

Today - after two long, memorable years - was the day she would leave him.

* * *

When Sakura walked past her companions' room - stealthily and without a sound, as Itachi had taught her - she was vaguely shocked to find that the Uchiha's chakra signature was not present. She normally would have brushed the fact aside, but a clench in her stomach told her otherwise.

Still, she continued on out the motel door and into the golden forest. With a deep breath, she adjusted the strap of her bag, and then headed into the woods at a sprint.

For about three miles she traveled with no sign of him or any other person. As she ran, though, she stroked Hayasa's shrunken form - the feel of his soft feathers seemed to calm her down a bit - and she wondered to herself why she had not just flown off on the falcon's back. It would have been much quicker, and it would almost completely eliminate her chances of seeing someone else.

'_Maybe that's the exact reason why you did it.'_

Sakura sighed. _Maybe._

But, after another mile's travel, she got her subconscious wish.

Before her, blocking her path, stood Itachi.

And, at the same moment their hardened gazes met, miles away, the so-called everlasting flame went out.

* * *

**A/N: **Thank you for reading! :D And I'm sorry it took so long to update - I'm an avid procrastinator. Well, that, and I just recently had a world-changing epiphany: Naruto may have a rival for the best anime ever. Seriously. No joke. If you're looking for a mix of pure amazingness, a HOT male lead, and a subtle romance where, for once, the girl is more emotionless than the afore-mentioned hot male lead, check out _Darker than Black_. I promise you, you will not regret it. HEI X YIN FOREVER. :)

Also, over that two-month period, I watched every episode of the following animes: _Ergo Proxy, Ouran High School Host Club, Darker than Black _and_ Special A. _And let me tell you, each of those has at least twenty episodes. (I loved them all.)

So, you could say I didn't _completely _waste my time…kind of. :D

By the way, for the next chapter, I want your honest opinion: would you prefer a completely detailed and written-out fight scene (we all know how those go), or a semi-detailed, more poetic approach? I just want to know what you think would be best, based on what you have seen of my writing style and capability so far.

Anyways, please review! Your thoughts mean EVERYTHING to me.

Sincerely,

Silver Echo


	12. The Beginning of the End

_I have made you an enemy_

_I have been my own enemy_

_I am asking for you to forgive me_

_For everything_

_If you don't, you're worthy of compassion_

_If you do, you're a better man than I am_

_If you don't know, you're my family_

_Enemy, I'm sorry_

_Oh, enemy, family_

_Forgive me_

Excerpt from "Enemy" by Flyleaf

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto or any Flyleaf songs.

**Silent Sacrifice Chapter 11: The Beginning of the End**

* * *

Wind blew, and the trees swayed. The sun beat softly, a steady golden light upon everything. Pink hair waved to and fro, brushing into pale jade eyes.

Sakura clenched her fingers into fists, and narrowed her eyes. "Let me go."

Across from her, Itachi frowned minutely. "I'm afraid I can't do that."

Her hands shook. "Why is that?" she asked steadily.

He took a step forward. "Do you believe you're ready?"

When she smiled, it was wry. "I was only taught by the best."

His lips curved upward so slightly that Sakura could barely see the change. He shifted his coal black orbs to the clear sky. "We'll see about that," he said softly.

"Itachi," she said evenly, "please, just let me go. I don't want to fight."

His eyes once again focused on her, but this time she was met with the deep red of the Sharingan. He smirked faintly. "Neither do I."

In a split second, he was upon her. She dodged and propelled herself into the high branches of a tree.

"I do not want to fight you," he repeated from the ground, his gaze fixed on hers, "but to test your abilities, I must."

Sakura's fingers dug into the branch she crouched upon. Slowly, a small, melancholy smile grew upon her face. Her eyelids lowered, and her muscles tensed.

"Fine," she whispered. "Have it your way."

And she lunged at him, kunai in hand.

* * *

They were graceful. Equal, balanced, light and dark, but never one without the other. With every attack, a block. With every breath of fire, a waterfall. And, with every waterfall, a mountain.

For they were one and the same.

Equivalents.

Impartial.

Common souls.

Yet, at the same time, enemies.

And there must be a victor.

Balance? Equilibrium? Never.

For there must be a victor in this battle of ever-so-the-same enemies. There _must _be distinction, variation.

There _must _be a stronger shinobi.

Now, the only question is…who?

That was the question Zetsu wanted the answer to.

* * *

After ten minutes, she began to sweat. After thirty, her breathing became labored.

Fire. She inhaled sharply. Dodged. Fingers flew in complex patterns.

'_Stay calm.' _

Sakura took a deep breath.

'_Clear your mind.'_

Her chakra wrapped around the tiger's eye.

'_Remember your training.'_

She flexed her fingers.

'_This fight is yours.'_

Blood, obsidian, chaos.

Sharingan, dreams, breath, breath, breath.

Inhale.

Move.

This fight is yours.

Smile.

Exhale.

_This fight is yours._

Fangs flash.

This. Fight. Is. Yours.

Attack.

* * *

They fought with taijutsu (and he was so fast that she had to take off the weights she'd been wearing for over a year to catch up with him), switched to unsuspected ninjutsu, and laid traps of genjutsu. All of this in the matter of seconds, with each of them taking their fair toll of injuries and small victories over the other.

Fist, elbow, foot, fire, water, earth. Duck, maneuver, look for an opening. Evade that sudden unexpected jutsu, plan your own. Check chakra, keep your emotions under control, ignore the pain. Stay alert, be cautious, but not overly so. Expect the next move, know what you'll do in reaction to it. All of this, a constant rhythm, an endless chanting in her mind.

Attack, attack, evade, breath, breath, move, blood, crimson, fire, evade, repel, water.

But she had to keep going, because she wanted - _needed _- to return to Konoha. She _needed _to prove she was strong enough to bring Sasuke home.

So: inhale, exhale, blink, fist, stomach, blood, sweat, sun, heat, attack, attack, evade.

An endless cycle she could not escape.

* * *

One jade eye was closed, bleeding, the other, narrowed.

Two Mangekyou Sharingan orbs stared back, wider than usual. Dirt was smeared across his cheeks, and rivulets of water trickled down.

To Sakura, they almost looked like tears.

Almost.

She clenched her teeth together. He was about to force Tsukuyomi upon her.

The perfect opening, when he would not expect it.

She watched as the elegant Mangekyou spun, and instantly, she was pulled in.

But not without a weapon of her own.

* * *

Black, white, red. The span of a lifetime condensed into the span of mere moments. A world of illusions, of pain and dominance, of horror and endless, endless time.

A world that was hers for the taking.

Just as a beaten and helpless Sasuke stumbled his way toward her - her former teammate was Itachi's favorite piece to play against her - she clamped a hand on her bracelet and infused her chakra within it.

Emotions, pandemonium, and then clarity.

Water and fire-blue chalcedony and fire agate.

And, finally, she was in Itachi's sub-consciousness for the second time.

The difference: this time, she knew what to expect.

And so, completely ignoring the Uchiha's subconscious defense system of extreme heats and extreme colds, she began to sift through his memories as if they were ancient scrolls yet to be examined. She chose the one hidden in the deepest, haziest part of his mind, and brought it to the forefront with her.

In one large bundle, she gathered her chakra, and threw the memory at his conscious mind.

Instantly, the feelings of torture from her body entrapped in Tsukuyomi halted. Slowly, steadily, she removed the chakra from her bracelet, and was thrust back into her physical form, free of Tsukuyomi.

She blinked. Looked over.

And found Itachi standing there with the largest hint of a smile on his lips she had seen in her time of knowing him. To other people, it might look like nothing, but to her, it was huge: forlorn, soft, and pleasant all at the same time.

Sakura smiled as she remembered the small part of the memory he was experiencing she had been able to see.

Years ago, in Konoha, with the sun shining and the people walking by, Itachi watched his little five-year-old brother point and beam at all the birds flocking above as the older Uchiha held his hand.

His weakness was the same as hers.

Sasuke.

And the most shocking thing she found was that his weakness, if anything, was more potent.

Her weakness was in her feelings. His weakness was in his need to see Sasuke happy. Because in Sasuke's happiness, Itachi found happiness.

And to him, happiness was a disadvantage.

To Sakura, her feelings for the younger Uchiha were what she used to keep her going - they gave her hope. And as Itachi locked his happiness away where no one, not even himself, could find it, she nurtured her feelings to the point of love.

But even with love came hurt, and so her love became her weakness.

Suddenly - ending her long train of thoughts - a hand gripped her throat, and she was shoved against a tree. With a wide eye, she gazed at Itachi's visibly daunted form: his breath came in large, heavy gasps; his Sharingan eyes were twirling, as if he were in danger and needed to defend himself; and the hand that held her was trembling slightly.

"What did you do?" His voice: shaken.

She glared and fought to inhale, but instead choked and coughed.

His hand tightened, and he clenched his jaw, the muscles in his cheek straining.

Sakura found that the edges of her vision were turning black, so, in a desperate attempt to get free, she focused a small amount of her chakra around her injured eye, and transferred her injury to him.

She had practiced with her jutsu over the months, and had altered it to fit her taste.

Itachi's hand quickly loosened from around her neck, and Sakura desperately inhaled the sweet, clean air around her. As she breathed, her hands began to fly through several seals, and just as she finished the last one, Itachi removed his hand from his now-bloody left eye, and she saw the Sharingan begin to twirl once again.

But this time, only in his right eye.

'_Sakura, _run_!' _the Tigress roared.

Sakura took a shaky step back, and her healed eyes widened.

'_Run! Sakura, move!' _

Itachi brought his hands up to his lips, and blew.

Fire, fire, fire.

It should've been crimson and orange, golden and yellow. Usual flames.

But no. It was black.

…Amaterasu.

She screamed, called forth the largest wave of water she had yet, and infused it with as much chakra as she could afford. She watched, eyes wide, as the black flames were repelled, even if just for a second. They curled upon the water, flat against it. Her healing chakra was holding them back.

Desunei roared in her mind once again, and Sakura blinked before the common sense was shoved back into her. In a flash, she whipped around and sprinted as fast as she could in the other direction, just as her wall of water exploded into a cloud of steam. Sakura reached into her shinobi pouch attached to her waist and grasped Hayasa in her fist.

_All right, boy, bring me to the clouds - it's time to end this._

She threw the small falcon out in front of her, along with a touch of her chakra, and, just as he burst into his full size midair, she launched herself onto his back.

The flames grew to look like a patch of obsidian grass as they soared.

* * *

Itachi watched them climb high into the sky from below. The falcon's black-tipped silver feathers gleamed metallically in the sunlight.

Pain, and blood. He whipped his head down quickly, and brought his palm up to cover his right eye. When he pulled his hand away, it was coated in crimson.

His left eye, due to his _precious _student's unprecedented jutsu - he grimaced at the thought - was the same, if not worse.

Another wave of pain coursed through his body, and around him, the black, everlasting flames of Amaterasu began to recede. He willed them to die down.

The rest of his body was not much better. The fight had lasted far longer than he - or his stamina levels - preferred. With his condition and his dangerously low chakra, he would not be able to activate his highest-ranked jutsu.

A faint smirk graced his lips just as, far above, a deafening shriek pierced the air.

With obsidian eyes shedding tears of crimson, he glanced up. And at the same time, the ground beneath him began to shake. Within a second, he was propelled into the air on a wide pillar of rock.

In the fashion of an eclipse, Sakura descended toward him, the sun illuminated around her shadowed form. She landed ten feet across from him.

Her pale jade eyes were large and solemn. Lines of blood filled her face, bruises scattered her skin. Her clothes were partly scorched from his fire jutsu some time before.

In her left hand, a kunai. In her right, a chakra scalpel.

Itachi glanced to the side, and found that they were at least three hundred feet in the air. A drop like that would kill him, whereas Sakura's falcon was circling below them, ready to catch her is she fell.

She had him trapped.

He moved his gaze to meet hers once again.

Sakura took a deep breath and crouched into a battle-ready position, her kunai at her side, her chakra scalpel out and parallel to the ground. Her hitai-ate reflected the bright light of the sun from where it sat upon her forehead, and its red tail waved behind her in the blowing wind.

She smiled softly. "May the strongest ninja win."

He crouched into a position similar to hers with three shuriken hooked on his fingers.

His smirk was tender. "May the ninja who most deserves it win."

She laughed. "Well put."

And their fight continued.

* * *

She slashed with her scalpel - narrowly missed his shoulder. He threw a shuriken attached with a hidden string - she cut through it smoothly.

A shuriken grazed her cheek, and, in retaliation, she cut several tendons in his upper arm. When his fist met her stomach, her foot crashed down upon his chest.

They were both coated in sweat. The sun didn't help, nor did their fast-paced battle. Their movements were nothing but mere flashes of limbs and metallic gleams of weapons.

After fifteen minutes, they stood on opposite ends of the rock pillar. She had given him a broken rib, and he had given her internal bleeding that she did not have the chakra to heal.

Both covered in sweat. Both filled with variations of cuts and bruises.

Both dripping blood.

Their gazes met, and they were weary. But Sakura knew she was not going to give up. She still had a small amount of chakra to spare - not enough for a full healing, but enough to walk away the victor.

And a victor she intended to be.

She braced herself to lunge at him again, but then…he began to cough.

Itachi's fist curled against his lips, and his form hunched over. His voice was harsh, thick, and moist with blood as another convulsion overtook him. The crimson liquid coated his hand, splattered on the tan rock below. His breath came in heavy gasps before turning to a cough once again.

Sakura froze. _What's happening to him?_

Desunei's voice was calm yet melancholy at the same time. _'He's suffering from a disease, child.'_

Instantly, Sakura's medical alarm took over. She took a step forward, then another, her mind all ready calculating Itachi's appearance and the most likely problems occurring within him. _Why haven't I been notified of this? Why didn't he tell me? _Panic began to settle in. _I could've helped him! He looks like he's about to -_

'_Stop it, Sakura. There's nothing you can do for him now.'_

Sakura inhaled deeply. Exhaled.

As Itachi took another breath to cough again, he was pushed to the ground, on his back, with his arms pinned above his head. Soothing chakra coated his throat, effectively halting his racking convulsions.

Her forehead was pressed against his, her nose brushed his, and her legs straddled his torso. He found himself staring into pale jade eyes brimming with tears. He blinked as one dropped to his face and began to roll down his cheek.

"You're sick," she said quietly. Her soft outlet of breath swept across his lips.

He closed his eyes.

"I could've helped you."

She shifted so her left hand restrained both of his above his head, while the other came down to caress his blood-and-dirt stained cheek.

The action caused his eyes to flash open again, focused sharply upon her green depths.

Another tear fell.

"I could've healed you."

Her fingers traced the lines on his face ever so gently. The pressure of her forehead against his lightened.

Her lips curved upward slightly. "I could've done so much for you…"

Her fingertips wiped away the dried blood under his eyes.

"…but you kept it all to yourself, and now you're slowly wasting away."

He didn't even try to react. So, gently, hesitantly, she brushed her thumb and index finger across his lips.

His coal black eyes softened.

And another tear fell.

She inhaled, pale jade orbs shut, and moved her hand to rest upon his head.

"Goodbye, Itachi," she whispered. Then what was left of her chakra coated his mind in a genjutsu, and his eyes slowly closed.

Her last tear landed on his eyelid. She leaned down and pressed her lips to each of his shut eyes before grasping his limp body in her arms. She whistled softly to Hayasa, and, in a great swirl of dust and feathers, the falcon landed before her. His molten orange eyes watched warily as she climbed upon his back with Itachi tight in her embrace.

Her voice, when she spoke, was calm. "To the ground, Hayasa."

The falcon leapt into the air and steadily lost altitude; he landed gently on the burnt, destroyed ground below. Sakura jumped off the large aerial predator with the words, "Wait here," and walked into the forest several feet until a blue form appeared from behind a tree.

Kisame's gaze locked upon Itachi's unmoving form, and then up to Sakura. He blinked. "Well," he said. "That was one interesting battle."

Sakura gripped the Uchiha's body close to her before she stepped forward and placed him in the Mist-nin's outstretched arms. She swallowed heavily. "You need to take him to a hospital; I would heal him myself, but…" She glanced at her cracked, bleeding palms. "I would heal him myself," she continued, "but I'm out of chakra, and I need to get going. So, please, take him to a hospital and have him fixed up."

She turned, about to walk away, but Kisame's hand on her shoulder stopped her in her tracks. When she looked back, his face was serious. "Take care," he said.

Sakura smiled a bit. "You too."

As she walked toward Hayasa, she faintly saw a mixture of green, black, and white disappear into a tree she passed. A faded chakra signature she didn't recognize was left behind. She paused, wanting to examine it further, but then a thought came into her mind.

Konoha.

She was going home. Finally, after two long years, she was returning to the place she belonged.

With that thought, she sprinted the rest of the way to Hayasa's waiting form, and leapt onto his back. "Fly as fast as you can for as long as you can, boy," she said, breathless. With a sharp cry, the falcon launched himself into the air and flew.

He flew, and one of the most important people in Sakura's life was left behind.

* * *

Pein stood outside the Akatsuki complex in Amegakure, drenched with the rain he purposefully caused to pour. His back leaned against the trunk of a tree with his arms and feet crossed. His head was bent - his chin almost touching his chest - and his eyes were sealed closed. The many piercings on his face dripped with water.

After several moments, he sensed Zetsu's chakra signature appear in the tree next to his, and suddenly his statue-like figure came to life. His eyes flashed open, and he uncrossed his limbs to take a step forward.

Zetsu answered the unspoken question without command: "It's just as you said, Leader-sama," his light side began. "_The pink-haired one has defeated the almighty Uchiha Itachi_," his dark side finished, slightly sarcastic.

Pein's expression remained neutral as he turned away and headed back into the complex.

After all, it was just as he had said.

Just as he had predicted.

* * *

The flight took less than thirty minutes, but by the time they arrived, it was far past noon. Sakura commanded Hayasa to land about a mile away from the main village, as she did not want to alarm anyone with a sudden behemoth bird landing in front of them.

When she climbed off the falcon's back (and packed his shrunken form into her pouch), a wave of pain and exhaustion coursed through every bone and cell in her body. The adrenaline she had been running on for so long finally depleted, leaving her with the full impact of the day's injuries and jutsu to bombard her in one long-lasting surge. She felt all the cuts and bruises vividly, smelled the acrid stench of her own blood in the air. She found, almost laughingly, that two of her fingers were broken, along with a slight fracture in both her left radius and her right fibula. The internal bleeding near her stomach only added to the throbbing of her body.

She glanced at herself, surprised she had been able to fight as long as she had. Along with the injuries, she was caked in dirt and blood. In several places, Itachi's fire jutsu had caught upon her clothing, but she had been able to put it out before it caused any real damage.

After her full-body inspection, she laughed to herself, but then winced - her ribs were heavily bruised, and chuckling did not help the matter.

Still, she smiled weakly.

She had fought Uchiha Itachi in a full-out battle, and would be alive to tell the tale.

Well, that was if she made it to the village before collapsing.

So, with shoulders straight and eyes set evenly, she continued toward her home.

* * *

"Shikamaru?"

"…what?"

"This is boring."

"Then leave."

"Nah, watching clouds is better than having Ino rant to me all day about how horrible the hospital is." A bag crackled noisily.

Shikamaru sighed, and muttered "How troublesome" under his breath.

"Neji! Come on, let's go spar," a demanding voice called. Bushes rustled, and a laughing Tenten appeared. She stopped when she caught sight of Shikamaru and Chouji lying on the ground. "Oh, hey, guys, didn't mean to bother you." She frowned, and called back into the forest, "If only _someone _would move his ass a little faster, we would be at the training fields all ready!"

"I said I'm coming, Tenten," Neji's slightly frustrated voice responded just as he stepped into the clearing. His eyes focused on the cloud-watching shinobi. "Shikamaru, Chouji," he greeted, nodding to each of them respectfully.

Shikamaru waved lazily back as Chouji said, "Hey there, Neji" with a mouth full of chips.

Tenten stepped forward and grasped her teammate's hand before she began to pull him in the opposite direction. "Now we've wasted all this time when we could've been practicing -"

She froze, and Neji nearly walked into her. He frowned down at her. "What are you stopping for?"

He saw that her brown eyes were wide with disbelief, shock, and hope all mixed together. Her lips parted slightly. "Oh…oh, my…Neji…" She shook his arm. "Neji," she whispered, trembling, "look."

He focused his pale gaze to the path before them, and felt the surprise flood through him.

"It's Sakura," Tenten said, almost mechanically. By that time, Shikamaru and Chouji had gotten to their feet to see what their fellow shinobi were so keen on.

"Dear Kami, it's Sakura," Tenten repeated. Shikamaru and Chouji came to stand beside them, and they both inhaled sharply as they gazed down the path.

Before them, about fifty feet away, a bleeding Sakura limped down the path toward Konoha. She continued at a steady pace even when her eyes focused upon the people she had grown up with so long ago.

"Sakura!" Suddenly, Tenten broke away from the group and sprinted toward their old friend. When she reached the pink-haired girl, she threw her arms around her in a crushing hug.

Sakura smiled, the tears welling up, and finally gave into the unconsciousness she had been fighting ever since she'd landed, knowing she was safe in the arms of a good friend.

Her body went limp, and she faded into blissful emptiness.

* * *

**A/N: **Quick question: do you guys read the excerpts I put at the beginning of each chapter, or should I stop them? I just want to know what you all think. :)

Anyway, if you read this chapter, please review and tell me your thoughts! Feedback is always highly appreciated. :D


	13. Phantasm

_Catch me as I fall_

_Say you're here and it's all over now_

_Speaking to the atmosphere_

_No one's here, and I fall into myself_

:

_This truth drives me into madness_

_I know I can stop the pain_

_If I will it all away,_

_If I will it all away_

:

_Don't turn away _

_(Don't give into the pain)_

_Don't try to hide_

_(Though they're screaming your name)_

_Don't close your eyes_

_(God knows what lies behind them)_

_Don't turn out the light_

_(Never sleep, never die)_

:

_I'm frightened by what I see_

_But somehow I know that there's much more to come_

_Immobilized by my fear, and soon to be_

_Blinded by tears_

Excerpt from "Whisper" by Evanescence

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto or any Evanescence songs.

**Silent Sacrifice Chapter 12: Phantasm (My Dream, Your Reality)**

* * *

Bright lights imprinted on her eyelids, and the uncertain hum of silence. She felt a warm presence to her right, and, a little further off, more warmth clustered together.

Her eyebrow twitched slightly. She tried to inhale, but it instead came out as a gasp, and her eyes flew open as she coughed harshly. When finished, she blinked, and glanced around her.

And met a pair of glassy, pure blue eyes.

"Hey, Naruto," she croaked. "Long time no see."

Tears rolled down his cheeks, and he leaned over to wrap his arms around her and clutch her to him. She wasn't completely healed, but the pain was irrelevant to her.

Because she was in the arms of her best friend, and they were together.

"Sakura-chan," he said, voice rough, "you came back. I just can't believe you're here, after two years -" His voice broke, and his hold on her tightened.

As he held her, she was lifted off her hospital bed slightly, and her view of the room broadened. Over Naruto's shoulder, she saw Ino crying along with Tenten and Hinata. Beside them stood Nara Shikamaru, Hyuuga Neji, Inuzuka Kiba, Akimichi Chouji, Aburame Shino, Rock Lee, Sai, Yamato, and Shizune.

Sakura felt the tears in her own eyes overflow as she looked to the left and met Tsunade's watering golden gaze. Kakashi stood beside her, his one visible eye soft.

And, with all the strength she could muster, she crushed Naruto to her, buried her face in his neck.

And she cried.

* * *

"Itachi?"

The Uchiha glanced at his Akatsuki partner with weary obsidian orbs.

Kisame peered at him. "I'm thinking we need to take a break. That medic said you shouldn't be moving around at all, and we've already traveled five miles."

Itachi just stared, his gaze bleak and cold.

Kisame grinned lopsidedly. "Fine, fine. Have it your way. Just don't take the fact that your dear little apprentice isn't with you anymore out on me."

The Uchiha's eyes flickered crimson for a moment before he turned away and quickened his pace.

He had already caught himself - in the last week since she had left - searching for her chakra signature around him, thinking of what she would talk to him about as they meditated, waking up with a strange, vague feeling of panic when he sensed she wasn't around him…

He didn't need to be reminded that she was gone, and wasn't coming back.

* * *

"So, Sakura," Tsunade began as she planted herself down at her desk, "I think it's time for you to explain yourself." Her eyes flashed metallic. "Tell us everything."

It had been a whole week since her fight with Itachi, and she had just been released from the hospital yesterday. Now completely healed, Sakura took in the sight before her. Jiraiya stood beside the Hokage to her left, Kakashi to her right. Naruto sat in the chair to Sakura's left, holding her hand tightly in his.

Four people. Seven watching eyes. One story to tell.

Sakura breathed in deeply. She began steadily with the words, "I met Uchiha Itachi two years ago, and he offered me something I couldn't ignore." Her hand squeezed Naruto's, and he squeezed back. Her voice, when she continued, shook slightly. "He offered to show me the way to bring Sasuke back."

She glanced over at Naruto and saw his questioning, glassy eyes. When she looked, Kakashi's expression was neutral - but she knew better to believe what was on the outside.

With a calm tone, she continued, "He offered, and I accepted. We made it out to seem like he was forcefully taking me, so you wouldn't get suspicious."

Tsunade frowned, and her gaze narrowed.

Sakura kept her face clear of any emotions. "If you haven't noticed, I have marks on my skin." She pointed to the gleaming gold claw-like marks at the corner of each eye, and removed her hitai-ate to show the gold-pronged symbol on her forehead. Across from her, she saw Jiraiya's eyes widen considerably.

"You see, Itachi offered to train me - and train me well he did." She smiled softly. "But he also had something else planned for me."

_Desunei, mind showing yourself?_

The Tigress chuckled lightly. _'Might as well.'_

Sakura stood from her chair and felt the symbol on her forehead fill with chakra. When she looked down, she saw the rest of her marks - the endlessly intercepting golden vines - fill her skin.

Naruto's voice came out warily. "Sakura-chan…?"

The chakra stopped moving, and then the Tigress was in the room, her form concrete and real. She sat next to Sakura, but even sitting came up to the pink-haired kunoichi's shoulders. Her russet fur was smooth and silky, her green-gold slit eyes inquisitive and intelligent.

Sakura placed a hand on the Tigress Spirit's soft head. "This is the Fujin na Tora Seishin, and I am her host."

* * *

"What are you planning to do now that the girl is gone?" Pein's Rinnegan eyes were blank, seemingly sightless.

Across from him, "Tobi" sat in a chair, his legs crossed in front of him and hands joined in his lap. His single Sharingan eye gleamed from amongst the swirling of his orange mask. "Nothing in particular," Madara's voice began coldly. "We will continue on with what we already have intended." His eye narrowed. "Now that we know she is strong enough to defeat Itachi, even in his diseased state, and it has been proven that the Fujin na Tora Seishin's powers can be properly used, we must wait until the time is right to act." The Akatsuki founder leaned forward and placed his hands on the desk. "For now, let the sealing of the Yonbi commence."

* * *

"He's almost dead," Itachi observed, voice smooth. "Be careful handling such an old man."

Kisame roughly adjusted his catch - the Yonbi, or Four Tails - that was slung across Samehada's edge. The Mist-nin snorted slightly. "You wouldn't be saying that if you knew the bastard," he replied, unforgiving. "This guy wasn't easy to take down, I assure you. You wouldn't understand the trouble I went through to capture him."

Itachi glanced at his partner, and then shifted his eyes to stare morosely at the soaked ground. Around him, rain continued to pour relentlessly. "Hmph."

"Of course," Kisame mused, "I was the one who wanted to fight him alone. But with your condition, who can blame me? When the time comes, maybe you'll even let me have a go at your jinchuriki, too. What an interesting battle that will come out to be, since your target is Sakura's teammate."

The Uchiha's tone was flat and not amused. "Don't get cocky, Kisame. After all, we have plenty of time before my mission needs to be acted upon. The Hachibi has still yet to be captured."

The shark-like shinobi grinned crookedly. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Just then, the small chakra signal from their Leader flashed within them. Itachi glanced toward the sky, the corner of his mouth tilted upward minutely. "He has good timing."

Together, their spirits were sent to the large cave where the Demonic Statue (or Gedo Mazo) was kept. The cave was dark, and Itachi could barely pick out the static-like forms of the other six remaining members, including Kisame.

"You're late," Pein stated emotionlessly from the other side of the cavern.

"We just caught the jinchuriki a few moments ago, and had to make sure we had him fully secured," Kisame explained. "Excuse us for the wait."

"Well, then, it looks like everyone's here," Pein commented, his Rinnegan eyes the only solid part of him.

"Hey, Itachi, I heard that your little Konoha plaything escaped, yeah," Deidara began, a smirk barely visible on his shimmering face. "Too bad. Tobi here said she was quite easy on they eyes, and I wanted to meet her, yeah."

Itachi's eyes narrowed noticeably.

"Did ya at least get to have your fun with her while you had her, hm?"

"Deidara, I would shut up if I were you," Kisame advised loudly.

The blonde-haired man opened his mouth to reply, but Pein cut in swiftly. "Enough of that," the Leader commanded. "We don't have much time, so we must get started as soon as possible."

The room instantly silenced.

Pein's eyes flashed as he continued, "Now let us begin."

* * *

When Sakura finished her long story, she met the gazes of the four people in the room steadily, her breath even and unhindered. Desunei was now once again in the kunoichi's mind, and her presence gave Sakura the reassurance she so desperately needed.

Kakashi was the first to break the silence. "Sakura, you're meaning to tell us that you took Uchiha Itachi on and defeated him single-handedly?"

Her fist clenched at her side, but she nodded anyway. "Hai, Kakashi-sensei."

The copy-nin ran a hand through his spiky silver hair and sighed as he leaned against the wall behind him. "Well, damn. I have to admit - I'm impressed beyond words."

Beside her, Naruto smiled weakly. "And I was proud of myself for making chuunin level. What an overstatement."

Sakura felt a pang in her heart. "Naruto," she said sternly, "you have no right to judge yourself like that. Making chuunin level is a huge accomplishment."

"Compared to defeating Uchiha Itachi?" he replied, and she could see the self-disappointment begin to churn in his cerulean blue eyes.

"Naruto," Tsunade bit out harshly, "you are one of the strongest shinobi I know, so don't you even try going down that road with me. I will not tolerate it in the least."

The blonde jinchuriki averted his gaze.

Sakura felt another pang go through her, and so she reached out and grasped Naruto's hand in hers once again. He looked up in surprise, and, upon meeting her soft, caring eyes, smiled a radiant smile.

"I know, I'll shut up now," he said quietly. "The most important thing is that you're here with us. Nothing else matters."

Sakura smiled back. "Exactly." However, her smile dimmed as she turned back to Tsunade and Jiraiya before her. "But that's not really all, is it? I left of my own free will, so I must be punished. Doesn't the whole village know what I've done?"

Tsunade's gaze darkened. "I was meaning to speak with you about that. Only our group of trusted people know the truth of your 'kidnapping.' The Elders still believe Itachi forcefully took you, as does the rest of the village."

Sakura frowned, confused. "But, that one day so long ago, when we accidentally ran into Sai and Naruto, Sai said the whole of Konoha would know of my defection."

The Hokage grinned wryly. "You can thank your blonde teammate over here for that one. He threatened to kill Sai if he ever said anything, and, of course, when Sai reported to me when they first got back, I told him he was not allowed to speak of it."

The pink-haired kunoichi blinked. "B-but why would you do that? If I were anyone else, I would be put on a death sentence -"

"But that's just it, Sakura-chan," Naruto cut in. "You're _not _just anyone else. I made sure long ago that Sasuke won't be sentenced to death when he returns" - Sakura smiled a little at hearing him say 'when Sasuke returns' as if he were entirely sure it was going to happen - "and I'd hate myself if I didn't do the same for you. After hearing your reasons for leaving, you especially don't deserve it."

Sakura could hardly believe her ears. "So I'm free, then? I'm not going to be punished?"

Jiraiya finally jumped into the conversation as he said, "You will be assigned a different watchman to accompany you every day for a month, but it will always be one out of your age group of shinobi. After that time, if you have proved yourself trustworthy -"

"_When _she proves herself trustworthy," Naruto interrupted, his gaze locked on Jiraiya harshly.

"Yes, yes, _when _you prove yourself trustworthy," the sannin continued, his eyes narrowed at the blonde jinchuriki, "you will be free to go on missions and whatnot."

When Sakura smiled, it was sincere and real. "I can't tell you how thankful I am. I promise you will not regret your decision."

"And I hope that promise will be kept," Tsunade added, her golden gaze warm.

"All right, I'll be her watchman for today!" Naruto announced, and hopped out of his chair. He grabbed Sakura's hand and led her out the door, yelling, "Come on, Kakashi-sensei, we're all going to go to Ichiraku's and celebrate! You have to come!"

His voice faded as they walked further off.

"Well," Kakashi stated, "I'd best be going. I can't afford to miss my student's return celebration."

Just as he was about to leap out the window, Tsunade called, "Kakashi, do you think she'll be fine?"

The copy-nin paused and turned his head to meet her serious gaze. "I have complete faith in her, Tsunade-sama." And he disappeared in a blur of movement.

Jiraiya came up behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder. In his rough voice, he said quietly, "We'll make sure she's safe, Tsunade. Even with the Fujin na Tora Seishin sealed within her, we'll make sure Akatsuki knows Sakura is not theirs to take."

* * *

When Sakura arrived at the one-story apartment Tsunade had prepared for Sakura at the pink-haired girl's request four days ago (because at seventeen-and-a-half years old, she was in need of her own place - she'd had a teary reconciliation at Ichiraku earlier that evening with her parents, and they had fully supported her in her decision to live on her own), she immediately scoured the area, memorizing its possible escape routes (in case of an emergency), checking under the furniture, looking in all the cabinets, until the whole apartment's layout was imprinted into her mind, never to be forgotten.

She was glad Naruto had said she didn't need a watchman to look after her at night, because she wasn't sure she'd be able to fully relax enough to sleep, constantly wanting to keep track of the chakra signatures around her (even if it were one of her close friends). It had been so long since she'd been around and conversed with people other than Itachi or Kisame, so her senses were on full alert, and she knew it would be at least two or three days before she became completely at ease with her surroundings.

With a sigh, she walked wearily to what she assumed was the master bedroom, and placed away everything she had brought from her parents' house when she had stopped there just before she arrived at her new apartment. She had pretty much stopped growing around the time she left Konoha, so almost all of her old clothes still fit her. When she finished, she took a nice, hot, long shower, brushed her teeth, and then changed into her pajamas before she climbed into her bed, and coaxed herself to sleep.

* * *

Just like that, a week passed. Every day people would come up to her, saying how happy they were she was okay, how lucky she was for being able to survive in the clutches of Uchiha Itachi. If they asked any questions about her two-year stay with the Uchiha, she would kindly reply that that information was classified by command of the Hokage (Tsunade had told Sakura to keep it simple in denying people any details). Apparently, they all believed she had snuck away from her captors when they weren't paying attention (when she heard this, she inwardly laughed - Itachi and Kisame weren't in Akatsuki for nothing, but, then again, civilians didn't know much about the clinical ways of shinobi). When they asked about the golden marks on her face, she would reply that it was simply shinobi facial paint.

Sakura was only allowed to truly answer to the questions of the people who knew the real story of her absence, which basically came down to the Konoha Twelve and the people Tsunade believed she could trust (which, ultimately, came down to most of the shinobi Sakura knew).

Each day, she and Naruto (and whoever it was out of their group of friends chosen to watch her) would go out and train together. Just as she guessed, he had improved greatly in the last two years, and they both had their fair shares of wins and losses. They were pretty equally matched - where Naruto was able to continue fighting for what seemed like forever, she could heal any wound that came her way. Sometimes, she found herself dimming down her skills a bit for him, but she knew that he could easily become a stronger shinobi than herself, given the time and practice. So, to help him along that path in becoming stronger, she promised to teach him what she could of what she had learned in her time with Itachi.

Since gaining chuunin status a year ago, Naruto had begun training for the next upcoming Jonin Exams (she found out that they were in just another two months). He demanded that she participate with him when the time came, and she laughingly agreed (because, honestly, she felt prepared for just about anything that came her way). He informed her that out of their group of friends, Shikamaru and Neji had already made it to ANBU level, while the rest had risen to jonin level.

Sakura found herself itching to spar with either Neji or Shikamaru, but unfortunately neither of them were her watchman during the week, and so she didn't see them.

On the day that Ino became her watchman, the blonde held a sleepover at her recently-purchased apartment and invited Tenten and Hinata along with Sakura to stay for the night.

During those times spent with her old friends, Sakura was reminded once again how lucky she was to have a second chance. Because she couldn't even think about what she would do if they had rejected her.

* * *

At the end of the seventh day since she had told her full story of her time with Itachi, Inuzuka Kiba (her watchman for the day) walked her home, and they said their goodnights to each other respectively at her doorstep. When he was gone, Sakura stepped inside her apartment and closed the door behind her softly, sinking to the floor soon after and burying her face in her crossed arms.

She couldn't believe how quickly things had changed for her. Just three weeks ago she was still with Itachi, and just two weeks ago she left him.

It made her heart pound a little at the thought that he was still out there somewhere, at that very moment.

She inhaled shakily and forced herself to get to her feet and move to her bedroom. After a quick shower and her normal nightly routine, she fell into her bed, and was asleep within ten seconds.

* * *

Itachi knew he should have just continued along with his original route. He _knew _he only had so much time left. He _knew _he needed to act quickly.

But he also knew he couldn't do anything else unless he saw her again.

So that was how he found himself breaking into Konoha's boundaries (of course, without the knowledge of anyone in the village), and tracking down her overly-familiar chakra signature.

When he located the apartment she was in, he was relieved to sense that only her chakra signature could be detected. Silently, stealthily, he approached her slightly opened window, and made sure his own chakra signature was dampened down as far as he could manage. Sure that he was concealed, he noiselessly pushed open her window and slid into her room.

Pink hair splayed across a pillow, pale skin gleaming in the faint light, lips parted minutely, breathing even, eyes sealed closed.

Sakura.

_His_ Sakura.

Itachi inhaled delicately before he took a step forward, then another. She didn't stir. Another couple of steps, and he was right beside her, the warmth she gave off radiating to him.

He should not have made a detour.

Itachi knew he needed to leave quickly, so, inaudibly, he reached up to his neck and unhooked the three-beaded necklace that rested there. It came off easily in his hands, and he gently placed it on the table beside her bed. He wanted to give her something to remember him by, always.

_Leave, now, _he told himself.

But he couldn't make himself move, and instead found himself even closer to her side. Her face was turned toward him, the breath exhaling lightly from her nostrils, her lips now sealed together.

_Leave. Stop what you are doing, and leave._

Slowly, ever so slowly, he leaned down and placed a tender palm on her cheek.

_You are making this harder on yourself. You are thinking of things you will never be able to have._

He didn't care.

And so he leaned down further still, closed his eyes, and kissed her.

He did not move for what seemed like eternity. He kept his lips slanted over hers, not wanting to pull away, wanting to stay with her for as long as he could. Her lips were so warm, so soft, so tempting. At the same time, his hand gently caressed her cheek, fingered at the small strands of hair that rested there.

Still, she did not awaken.

_Pull away now, and leave._

He had to obey, and so he gradually lifted away from her, opened his eyes, and allowed himself one last glance at her peaceful, sleeping form before he slid out her window and continued on to what he had been planning for so long.

_You will not see her again._

* * *

"Come out, whoever you are." Sasuke's voice was detached, relentless, as he spoke.

A figure clad in a black cloak with swirling red clouds decorating it stepped out of the forest before him. The figure had a bright orange mask on that covered his whole face, save for a cut-out hole where his right eye was.

Sasuke's face remained impassive. "You're -"

"So, you're Sasuke-kun, huh?" The figure's voice was excited, like a child, almost. "You sure do look a lot like Itachi-san!"

At that, Sasuke sent the Akatsuki member - obvious from his cloak - a piercing glare.

Instantly, the child-like figure hid himself behind a tree. "Damn, you're scary!" he declared.

Just then, Sasuke heard the nearly silent brush of wings against air, and glanced up only to find a large clay bird with another Akatsuki member upon it rushing toward him.

* * *

During her time with Itachi, Sakura had begun to consider herself a pretty light sleeper. At any sudden sound or disturbance, her eyes would flash open, and she would find herself fully alert, ready for action.

But apparently, as she dreamed, that was not the case.

In her dream, she and Itachi were sitting across from each other, crossed-legged, with their hands in their laps. Unpolished obsidian met watered-down jade, and the distance between them accounted to only a foot.

Sakura's eyes glanced down at a slight movement in her peripheral vision, and she watched as Itachi's hand came up to his neck. He cleanly unclasped the necklace he always wore before he leaned forward and placed it around Sakura's own neck, re-clasping it for her with a flick of his fingers.

A short pause followed, and still he did not remove his hand from where it rested at the base of her neck. Slowly, he moved his hand upward until it cupped the back of her head, and, ever gentle, began to close the distance between them, his lowered gaze soft like she had never seen it before.

Sakura found herself closing her eyes and leaning forward with him just as she bolted upright in her bed, and the dream was severely ended.

Her heart hammered away in her chest, and she took several deep breaths to clear her mind of its incessant chaos: _Itachi, Itachi, Itachi, Itachi, Itachi, Itachi, Itachi -_

'_Sakura,' _the Tigress said quietly, instantly halting the pandemonium in the kunoichi's mind, _'look at the bedside table.'_

Sakura frowned a little, puzzled, and shifted her gaze to the table at her right. For a moment, her eyes focused upon the clock she had placed there - to her surprise, she found that she had slept in two hours: it was already nine o'clock - before they moved to the small, stringed object beside it.

Any thoughts froze, and Sakura swore she felt her heart freeze as well.

Itachi's necklace. Right there, coiled in front of her.

Her heart then resumed its previous pace, and she sensed the blood pounding away in her head, filling the silence in her ears.

_Ba-bum ba-bum ba-bum ba-bum ba-bum ba-bum -_

He had been there, in her room, while she was sleeping.

And he had left her his necklace.

* * *

"Sakura-chan! Sakura-chan!" Naruto didn't even try to dim his voice as he barged into her apartment (he had a copy of the key) and rushed into her room, where her chakra signature was pulsing softly.

He pushed his way into the room, and found her sitting on her bed, staring into space with a pained expression as she gently fingered the necklace around her neck (vaguely, he remembered seeing it before, but the thought left him as quickly as it came).

Her eyes snapped to him as he entered her room, and she stood up quickly. "What's wrong, Naruto?" Her voice held a layer of worry. "Did something happen -"

"Everything's fine, Sakura-chan," Naruto cut in, his eyes wide and excited. "Tsunade wants us all at her office now. We have a mission."

She was already pulling out her kunoichi outfit, all thoughts of the necklace set aside for the moment. "What mission?"

A grin grew on his lips. "I haven't heard all the details yet," he replied, "but from what I know, Sasuke defeated and killed the Akatsuki member Deidara, and now he's on his way to find Itachi."

Sakura's eyes widened.

"We're going to catch Sasuke while we have the chance."

* * *

**A/N: **Please, please, please review! The more reviews, the faster I write, and the quicker chapters come out. So, please, if you read this chapter (and if you're one of those people who usually reads without leaving a comment), tell me your thoughts! I love to hear from you guys, and, to those who have stayed with me since basically the beginning (namely **Akatsuki Sakura Uchiha**, **Tiger Priestess**, **AlwaySakura**, and **Angelic Snow**), thank you so much!


	14. Transient Sempiternity

_Life is a waterfall_

_We're one in the river _

_And one again after the fall_

:

_Swimming through the void,_

_We hear the word_

_We lose ourselves, but we find it all_

:

_'Cause we are the ones that wanna play,_

_Always wanna go but you never wanna stay_

_And we are the ones that wanna choose,_

_Always wanna play but you never wanna lose_

:

_Aerials, in the sky_

_When you lose small mind_

_You free your life_

Excerpt from "Aerials" by System of a Down

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto or any System of a Down songs.

**Silent Sacrifice Chapter 13: Transient Sempiternity**

* * *

"We sure got stuck with some lousy weather, huh?" Kakashi's faint remark only added to the deafening roar of rain against earth.

Alongside him stood the group chosen for the mission: Naruto, Sai, Yamato, Hinata, Shino, Kiba (with Akamaru, of course), and Sakura. Even though Sakura should have been kept in the village because of her punishment, Tsunade felt that the pink-haired kunoichi would be a very useful asset to the team, considering the large amount of information about Itachi she held.

Sakura smiled a little to herself as she thought of how much more information she had not shared with the Hokage or her friends: she'd never told them of Itachi's real reason for massacring the entire Uchiha clan, never told them about Uchiha Madara. Desunei had encouraged her not to—the Tigress said everything would come into place in the future, and there was no reason to disturb what fate had planned. Desunei even told Sakura on the way to Tsunade's office that she wasn't going to interfere one bit with anything any of them did on the mission. The Tigress had claimed it wasn't going to be her place to act, and that their team needed to sort things out for themselves.

"All right, let's move out, everybody!" Naruto's expression was stern, his voice determined.

Into the pouring rain they went.

* * *

Sakura could not stop the rapid pounding of her heart as she and her two designated ninja dogs (courtesy of Kakashi) walked through the crowded streets of the village. The people were loud, the smell horrid. Adding to that, her ninja dogs had picked up Sasuke's scent a little while back.

'_Sakura, keep calm. Focus. Panicking will not help now.'_

She clenched her teeth together, and turned to one of the dogs walking beside her. "Anything new?"

"Not exactly," it replied, nose to the ground. "The scent is faint, but now it's coming closer and closer…"

Sakura's head snapped up, and her eyes began to search the area. She swore she was beginning to sense a vaguely familiar chakra signature, one she barely knew…

"Really close," the dog continued, nose working furiously.

A blotch of red passed at Sakura's left. Her eyes widened, and she whirled around.

_Karin._

But the redhead was already gone, lost within the crowd.

"Damn, the scent's getting further away now," the ninja hound growled.

"What is it, Sakura-chan?" the other dog questioned, head cocked to the side, staring at her.

The pink-haired kunoichi stood frozen for a moment before she slowly turned back around. "It was nothing," she answered, voice neutral. "Something just caught my eye."

Now far ahead, Karin stopped in her tracks, her gaze focused on a building in front of her sightlessly. Just a second ago, she'd felt a faintly familiar chakra signature, and she tried to place the signature to a name, name to a picture.

But she couldn't recall.

So she shrugged, and continued on. Sasuke was waiting for the medicine she had bought.

* * *

Something was following them. Each of them knew it, but none of them made a sound.

Then: "Naruto, Hinata, you know what to do," Yamato said quietly.

"Yeah," Naruto chimed, and Hinata agreed softly.

In a split second, Yamato had whirled around and aimed a set of shuriken at the presence behind them. They embedded themselves in the trunk of a tree just after a blurred figure hopped out of the way.

Now facing the forest, Naruto's eyes widened, and his lips parted in astonishment. "You're…"

From behind his hooded cloak, Kabuto smirked slightly. "Looks like I wasn't hiding well enough. Poor me."

* * *

"So, this is the place of Sasuke and Deidara's battle?" The smallest ninja hound looked about, while the other sniffed at the ground. "Seems like a pretty intense fight - there are a lot of remnants of chakra from the jutsu that were used, and they haven't faded away yet…but Sasuke's trail ends here."

"The fight must've ended only recently, just before we got the news of it," Sakura noted, her eyes scouring the scorched, lifeless area.

A part of her wanted to scream, and she didn't know why.

She sighed quietly. "Let's wait here until the others come."

* * *

"Pein, he has arrived," Konan called softly.

The Akatsuki leader stood up from his perch looking over the village, and walked over to join her. Before them stood Tobi, his form cloaked in darkness.

"What happened to Sasuke?" Pein questioned, ever emotionless.

Madara's voice answered. "The Sharingan's power was shown well; there is no doubt that his eyes will surpass Itachi's. It won't be long now."

Pein frowned. "What of the Kyuubi?"

Madara chuckled faintly. "It is your job to capture him. Remember, as the Leader, failure is not to be accepted."

* * *

Naruto felt sick to his stomach.

Before him, Kabuto was smiling, nearly half his face taken over by Orochimaru's power the medic had implanted within himself. The book that supposedly held information on Akatsuki now rested on the ground next to Naruto.

"Orochimaru-sama's power is constantly trying to take over," Kabuto continued, his voice and expression slightly crazed. "Part of me is doing everything it can to resist!" He grinned. "I can still sense that part of me that strives to surpass Orochimaru-sama."

Finally, Naruto could not take it anymore. His eyes narrowed, and he leaned forward. "Then by all means," he said, and rushed toward Kabuto, "keep striving - _after_ we shut you away in Konoha's prison!"

The medic did not move, and so Naruto tackled him, furious. But he found himself holding only Kabuto's cloak in his hands. The medic now stood across from him, that same insane grin ever-present on his face.

Naruto swore.

"After I'm able to completely control Orochimaru-sama's powers, I'll return to fight you, Naruto-kun, don't worry," Kabuto laughed. "See you then!"

And he disappeared in a flurry of smoke.

* * *

"The rain hasn't let up one bit," Kisame commented. "It's sort of odd, don't you think? It usually never rains so much here. Well, this time of the year, at least."

In front of him stood Itachi, his face turned toward the sky laden with grey storm clouds. Water poured on his face, slid down his cheeks, caught on his eyelids.

Kisame tilted his head to the side. "I'm not too sure what that mind of yours is thinking about," he began, "and given your personality, I know it's strange to say this…"

Itachi kept his gaze focused on the sky.

"…but from here, it looks like you're crying."

Itachi closed his eyes, and turned away before he opened them once again, revealing the crimson Sharingan. "Is that so?" His voice was soft, quiet, impassive.

Kisame frowned a bit as the Uchiha glanced toward the sky again. Kisame noted that the rain had finally ceased, and the clouds were parting.

"Hm," Itachi said, eyes unblinking. "The storm has passed."

* * *

"Damn, what the hell happened here?" Naruto turned in a circle as he took in the remains of Sasuke's battle.

"From what we can tell, many Earth-styled jutsu were used," Sakura replied. "But there are several places where we can see Chidori has been."

Naruto's hard gaze met Sakura's. "Okay then, let's keep going. Sasuke's scent must be here, right?"

Sakura frowned. "Actually -"

"I've got it!" Kiba grinned. "Sasuke's scent is faint, but nowadays, my nose is better than a ninja hound's."

Sakura felt her eyes widen a little. Kiba must have progressed greatly in the time she was gone.

'_They're all very strong,' _Desunei noted. _'Konoha is lucky to have so many talented young shinobi.'_

Sakura nodded just as Naruto yelled, "All right, lead the way, Kiba!"

* * *

"Uzumaki Naruto is no longer helpless as he used to be," Madara warned. Pein's blank gaze met his. "Not only has he learned many formidable jutsu, he even ended two of Kakuzu's 'lives' in just one strike." His one Sharingan eye gleamed from the darkness. "And I haven't even added the fact that he has Haruno Sakura, the Fujin na Tora Seishin host, as his ally once again."

Konan's cool, blatant voice answered him. "There is no need to speak of our target with such frightening language. Must I remind you that Pein has never lost a battle?"

"This is true," Madara noted, a slight bit of humor in his tone. "Now, I've said what I came to say. Remember to tell the remaining members to capture their own jinchuriki as quickly as possible."

"I know," Pein replied, voice smooth.

Madara turned and began to walk away. "Soon" - his voice echoed - "soon, all our goals will be achieved. And when they are, everything will be as it should."

When he was gone, Konan glanced at Pein's stoic face, and then gazed out at the village. "The sky cries again," she said softly.

And the roar of rain filled the streets.

* * *

Sasuke's scent had scattered, and now Naruto's clones were racing through the forest, searching, searching. All thoughts, everything about him, was focused on finding Sasuke - his brother, his teammate, his friend. There wasn't anything else he wanted as badly as he wanted for Sasuke to come home.

One of the clones clenched his fists as he sensed a presence ahead of him, and came to a sudden halt behind a tree. Slowly, he peeked around the trunk, and saw a pair of Sharingan eyes shrouded in darkness some twenty feet before him. The person was covered in the shadows from the forest.

The clone's mouth gaped. _Sasuke! It's Sasuke!_

Then the figure stepped out of the shadows, and into the light.

It wasn't Sasuke.

The Naruto clone forced himself not to gasp, and stuck himself to the tree, out of sight. His eyes were wide.

"Show yourself, Uzumaki Naruto," Uchiha Itachi called.

Naruto's clone locked his teeth together, took a deep breath, and moved away from his hiding place. The Uchiha's eyes locked upon him, and he forced his voice not to waver as he answered, "So you're finally gonna try and capture me? It's about time. I mean, you already took Sakura, so isn't it my turn now?" He didn't care whether or not the fact that his pink-haired teammate had left willingly stood out.

"No." Itachi's voice was impassive, but held a new sharp edge at the mention of Sakura. "I merely wish to speak with you."

The blonde glared as two other clones dove in at Itachi from behind. The Uchiha casually produced two kunai and threw them straight at the clones over his shoulders, without even looking. The two clones vanished in a puff of smoke.

The Naruto clone dug his fingernails into the palms of his hands, nearly drawing blood. "Like I'm gonna fall for that crap," he spat. _I have to be careful, _he thought to himself. _When dealing with the Sharingan, if it's one-on-one, you're supposed to run. Two-on-one, you attack from behind. However… _Naruto trained his eyes away from the Uchiha's blank gaze. _He can cast a genjutsu with just his fingers. This isn't going to be easy._

"You've done your research on the Sharingan, I see," Itachi stated. "You must know what to do when you have no backup. Why aren't you running?"

"I'm not afraid of you!" Naruto roared. "My numbers can be anywhere from one to one-thousand, and besides, I can't afford to run away now. I need you captured so I can find Sasuke!"

Itachi stayed silent for a moment, his crimson eyes analyzing the jinchuriki clone before him. Finally, he said quietly, "Why do you care so much about my little brother? He's a rogue ninja who would kill you if he got the chance. He abandoned you voluntarily."

"Yeah, and so did Sakura," Naruto replied, gaze angered and serious. "But she's a sister to me, just like Sasuke's my brother." His voice rose as he continued, "And I'm a better brother than you _ever _were!"

Itachi's lips tilted upward just as Naruto rushed at him. But the Uchiha easily caught him in a genjutsu, and he watched as the jinchuriki's eyes widened in response to the crows that suddenly flocked around him.

Naruto took a shaky step back as Itachi's form before him began to disappear in the form of crows.

"I will say it once more." The Uchiha's voice echoed around him. "I only wish to speak with you. Violence is unnecessary, unless you bring it upon yourself."

Just like that, the jutsu ended, and Naruto found himself on the ground, panting. He glared at Itachi. "Why? It's me you're after, right? Then why won't you fight me?"

Itachi merely stared. After a short paused, he said, "There is only one thing I wish to tell you before I must go."

"Yeah?" Naruto growled. "And what is that?"

"Take care of her," Itachi answered softly. "I will not be here to do it myself after this, so I am entrusting her safety to you."

The Naruto clone watched, shocked, as the Uchiha then vanished in a whirl of crows.

* * *

Tsunade stared at Jiraiya from across the table they sat at. Her hand tightened around the drink she held, and she quickly threw her head back and downed the rest of it before saying, incredulous, "So, you're meaning to tell me you want to go after Akatsuki's leader on your own?"

Jiraiya grinned crookedly. "You have to remember, Tsunade, I'm one of the Leaf's Legendary Sannin. That title entails a lot."

Tsunade averted her gaze, and was silent for a moment before she whispered, "I'm sorry. I keep putting you in these idiotic situations…"

Jiraiya chuckled. "It's odd to hear you say that. Don't worry about me, Tsunade. I'd gladly put my life on the line, and I'd be smiling the whole time, too." His expression sobered. "It's the only helpful thing old farts like me can do."

* * *

"Ah, so you're here."

Sasuke's eyes focused where the voice came from, his stance battle-ready. "Who are you?" he called, wary.

Two pairs of identical crimson eyes met.

"It's me, Sasuke."

* * *

Konan glanced up at Pein's suddenly stiff figure. His eyes were trained on the forest beyond them. "What's wrong?" she asked.

His eyes narrowed. "Someone has disturbed my rain's fall. Judging from their chakra, it's someone dangerous."

His cloak billowed out as he whipped around and stepped further into the confines of their Akatsuki hideout before turning to face the blue-haired kunoichi again. "Konan, when I stop the rain, use your jutsu to find the intruder. We must not let them travel further into the village."

She nodded, and his hands began to fly through several complex hand signs. Finished, he stepped into the rain and raised his hands to the sky. Within three seconds, the downpour stopped.

"Now, Konan," he ordered.

She brought her hands up to her face, and, piece by piece, her body became paper. The pieces flew about, and, in the air, folded themselves into origami butterflies. Pein watched with a somber gaze as they flew into the sky.

He had a feeling he knew who the intruder was.

* * *

Naruto's clones were still searching, and so far none of them had found anything besides the one's confrontation with Itachi. Naruto, however shocked, decided not to alert anyone of his encounter - especially with Sakura, who seemed to have an odd attachment to the murderer, so close by.

He was nearly vibrating with anticipation otherwise. Beside him sat Sakura, who continued to stare blankly into the forest. The rest of the group was left to wait for any news from the blonde jinchuriki.

Suddenly, Naruto bolted upright, his eyes fierce, his expression hard. "I found him!" he yelled, and was instantly racing through the forest, the rest of the group following behind.

Sakura increased her speed until she was right alongside her teammate. "What happened?" she asked.

His pure blue eyes met hers. "He impaled one of my clones."

She grit her teeth together, and increased her pace even more along with him. "Lead the way, Naruto," she said.

_You're not getting away this time, Sasuke, _they thought simultaneously.

* * *

"Well?" Pein questioned.

Konan had just returned from her scope of the village, now in one piece.

Her eyes narrowed. "It's Jiraiya."

He grew silent. Then: "Tell me where he is."

Konan nodded, and complied. "I'll hold him off until you arrive."

He waved a hand at her, beginning to walk off. "Don't mind me. If you get the chance to kill him, do not hesitate."

* * *

"Sasuke, there's an incredible chakra headed our way, and fast!" Karin's voice rose in pitch as they continued along to the place Itachi had told Sasuke to meet him at.

As the chakra's owner became visible, they all slowed to a halt.

Sasuke's brows drew together, and his eyes went from pure obsidian to crimson Sharingan.

Suigetsu's elongated teeth flashed as he began, "You're -"

"Sasuke," Kisame interrupted from his perch on the pole in front of them, "please continue on your own. Itachi would prefer that we all wait here."

"No problem," Sasuke replied, voice smooth. "I only created this team so no one would get in the way of Itachi and I. This works out perfectly."

"What are you saying, Sasuke?" Karin yelled. "We should kick this guy's ass and fight Itachi together!"

Kisame sighed. "I'm really not in the mood for another fight," he drawled, "but I won't go easy on any of you if you insist on moving together."

Sasuke's voice whipped out, harsh and flat. "Don't even think about it, Karin," he said coldly. "This is _my _revenge."

Karin clenched her teeth and glared at Kisame as Sasuke moved on without them.

"Well, well, well. While we're waiting," Suigetsu began, a smirk on his lips, "why don't we have a little fun, _Kisame-senpai_? I've been itching to get my hands on Samehada for some while now."

"Is that you, Suigetsu?" Kisame chuckled roughly. "I didn't even recognize you. You've grown a lot since the last time I saw you."

Suigetsu grabbed the hilt of his sword in his hands. "Yeah, enough with the heartfelt reunion." His teeth flashed. "Let's get to the real stuff."

* * *

"Wow, I didn't think I'd find a bunch of Leaf Ninja way out here! And that's so not fair - it's eight-on-one!" Tobi swung his legs as he sat on a branch of a tree ahead of the Konoha shinobi.

"Who the hell is this guy?" Naruto mumbled under his breath.

"He has an Akatsuki cloak on," Yamato commented, "so he must be Akatsuki."

"However," Kakashi added, "he's not in that list of Akatsuki Kabuto left behind."

As they talked, Sakura kept her gaze locked upon Tobi's form. Her pale jade eyes were narrowed, and she found herself dropping into a slight battle stance.

"Oh, you guys might not know me - I'm new to the company," Tobi chimed. "Nice to meet you all!"

Frustrated, Naruto turned to his pink-haired teammate. "Sakura-chan, do you know this g -"

Suddenly, Tobi jumped to his feet. "Is that you, Sakura-chan? It's been so long since I've seen you! I missed you a lot, it's true!"

Sakura found herself in the Akatsuki member's solid embrace for a split second before he pulled back and allowed her a good glance at his one Sharingan eye staring from his orange mask. Then he was once again perched on the branch he had been not five seconds before.

"Are you okay, Sakura-chan?" Naruto's voice steadily rose as he sprinted to her side and began to inspect her for any injuries. "I swear, if that bastard hurt you I'm gonna -"

Sakura gently pushed him away. "I'm fine, Naruto," she said reassuringly.

On his branch, Tobi was singing, "I got another hug from Sakura-chan, I got another hug from Sakura-chan! I'm Sakura-chan's _favorite_!"

Naruto turned to glare at the Akatsuki member. "What the hell did you do that for, dumbass?" he yelled.

Tobi stopped singing, and cocked his head to the side. "Sakura-chan is my best friend, silly! How could you not know?" He giggled to himself.

As Naruto began to visibly fume, Sakura rested a hand upon his shoulder. "It's okay, Naruto," she said quietly. "I've met him before - he's a little off in the mental department, that's all."

The blonde's clear blue eyes gazed at her. "You told us about him, didn't you? His name's Tobi or something like that."

She nodded. "And Itachi once said he's pretty dangerous, so don't try to attack -"

"He looks like a complete wimp, Sakura-chan!" Naruto said, scoffing. "I can take him, just watch."

Completely ignoring her request, he turned and watched as one of his clones came at Tobi from behind with a Rasengan ready in its hand. The Akatsuki member whipped around, exclaiming, "Shadow clone?" just as the clone yelled, "_Get out of our freaking way_!"

The clone impaled Tobi with its Rasengan, and Naruto's clone passed right through Tobi's body as if he were made of thin air.

* * *

Jiraiya was covered in blood, sweat, and dirt. His body lay limp on the cold ground, his cheek pressed into it, the breath barely moving in and out of his body.

For a second, it did stop moving. But then his body convulsed, and he coughed out a handful of blood. The summoning toad on his shoulder looked at the sannin with worry.

Across from him, Pein frowned slightly. _I was sure his heart had stopped._

Jiraiya's eyes cracked open, and he glared at Pein, even as he lay there, completely helpless with no right to pride. Jiraiya turned and whispered into the toad's ear, and it hopped down with a confirmative "Right!" Then, with the last of his strength, he used his chakra and carved out a message on the toad's back.

Only when he was sure it had escaped to safety - to Konoha - did Jiraiya finally allow himself to succumb to the darkness pressing upon him, and sink into the water.

_I did my part. Now the rest is up to you, Naruto._

* * *

"Ha, you're too full of yourself!" Tobi laughed. "What's a kid like you gonna do to me?" The Akatsuki member giggled as he sent two of Naruto's clones ramming into each other, and together they sent the real Naruto into a large, deep pond of water.

Hinata stood watching with worry in her pale violet eyes. "Naruto-kun!"

Sakura smiled slightly, her eyes still focused on Tobi before her. She had been watching as Naruto attacked over and over again, leisurely using the chance to analyze Madara's body-vanishing technique without having to fight him herself. She figured she would let Naruto do the physical work while she did the mental. "Relax, Hinata. It'll take much more than that to stop Naruto. Just keep your eyes trained on the enemy."

From behind his mask, Kakashi frowned. "He's evaded every single one of Naruto's jutsu. It's just like he's messing around with us…but why?"

Beside Hinata, Naruto emerged from the water, soaking wet with a livid look in his eyes. "We don't have time to screw around with you!" Naruto yelled at Tobi.

"Damn straight," Sakura growled. The Tigress, in her mind, gave a small snarl of approval.

"Okay, everyone," Yamato began, "get in formation _B _and move!"

"Yes, sir!" they chimed (they had gone over battle formations before they'd left the village), and attacked.

* * *

Somehow, Tsunade knew it was coming. As she sat on the edge of a small hut next to the lake, staring sightlessly at the walls before her, she tried to keep her mind perfectly blank.

But she knew it was coming.

Still, it came as a shock to her when she saw a small frog jump from land to water, and when, a few moments later, the water next to the edge of the lake began to swirl with Jiraiya's form vaguely visible beneath it.

She knew it was coming, but even that couldn't hold back her tears.

* * *

"Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Sannin, is now dead," Pein said, the rest of his bodies standing alongside him. "If we hadn't kept our secret, we would never have won. That is the highest praise I can give you, sensei."

Pein paused, and shifted his eyes to the right of him. "By the way, you can come out now."

Immediately, Zetsu emerged from a wall, his green plant appendages open like the waiting jaws of a shark. "That took you quite some time," Zetsu's light side commented. "_He was fighting Jiraiya, after all_," the dark side added.

Pein remained emotionless. "He appeared randomly, right after Madara ordered me to capture the Kyuubi."

"I'd love to see how _that _one plays out. Mind if I tag along? _No way. I'm going to watch another fight. Right now, not too far from here…_"

Pein glanced toward the sky.

"…_the great Uchiha brothers are facing off._"

* * *

Itachi sat in the stone chair in the old Uchiha compound, his legs crossed, hands in his lap, expression neutral, revealing nothing.

Sasuke stood across from him, arms limp at his sides, Sharingan bright and feverish, wanting retribution for all the pain he had suffered, all the cold nights he had spent alone. Ever alone.

Itachi was the first to speak. "Before we begin, wouldn't you like to know more about my little adventure with Sakura?" His voice was flat and aloof.

Sasuke's expression didn't change. "I don't have anything to do with Konoha anymore. Whatever you do to them does not effect me."

Itachi blinked. "Is that so?" he questioned softly. "What would you do, then, if I said I had killed her?"

The only physical response Sasuke gave was a slight twitch of his fingers. "I would say, 'Too bad,'" he answered curtly.

At that, Itachi's nails dug into the stone his arms rested upon. His little brother was truly ignorant of everything good that came his way.

But no matter. Soon, it would all be over.

"Then, foolish little brother, let's see how much your eyesight has improved over the years," Itachi began.

And Sasuke lunged.

* * *

**A/N: **Uh, yeah… I'm sorry this chapter was mostly filled with the happenings in the manga/anime, but they were needed. Trust me. This will all build up to the future of the story. And I'm sorry if what you were expecting to happen this chapter didn't happen - there was so much to add, so everything had to be prolonged a bit.

Anyway, please review! I already have the next chapter completed, and I might just update quicker than I plan to…we'll see how it goes.

Please and thank you,

Silver Echo

P.S. **MartoqVana**, if you're out there, thank you so, so much for such a long and detailed review! I sincerely hope you'll get a real account so I can respond properly, because there is no telling how much I appreciate you saying what you did. Truly, thank you.


	15. Lachrymose

_We all have our horrors and our demons to fight_

_But how can I win _

_when I'm paralyzed?_

:

_They crawl up on my bed, wrap their fingers 'round my throat_

_Is this what I get for the choices that I made?_

:

_God forgive me, for all my sins _

_God forgive me, for everything_

_God forgive me, for all my sins _

_God forgive me, God forgive me_

:

_Don't go _

_I can't do this on my own_

_Don't go _

_I can't do this on my own_

:

_Save me from the ones that haunt me in the night_

_I can't live with myself, so stay with me tonight_

:

_Don't go_

_Don't go…_

Excerpt from "Don't Go" by Bring Me the Horizon

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto or any Bring Me the Horizon songs.

**Silent Sacrifice Chapter 14: Lachrymose**

* * *

_Tak._

A bloodied foot stepped forward.

_Tak. _

Now the other.

_Tak._

One foot moved backward.

_Tak._

And the other followed.

_Tak._

Itachi's hand dripped crimson.

_Tak._

Obsidian eyes widened. All his techniques, all his defenses and jutsu, had been used. And to no avail.

Sasuke was frozen.

_Tak._

Finally, Itachi reached him. Two crimson-coated fingers reached out, and Sasuke moved back one more step before his back hit a wall. He had no where else to go.

He had nothing else to do.

* * *

'_Sakura, it's happening,' _the Tigress said quietly.

She frowned, eyes still focused as Yamato tried to attack Tobi with his earth jutsu.

_What's happening?_

She received silence.

And her heart skipped a beat.

Their battle paused as Sakura leapt forward, in front of Tobi, and stood facing him, only about three feet away.

She met his one Sharingan eye (which he didn't allow the others to see) steadily. "Let me pass," she commanded.

He was silent for a moment. Then, in Madara's voice, he said calmly, "Only you."

She nodded, and directed her voice toward her shocked, watching teammates. "I'll be moving on," she called, her gaze still focused on Madara before her. "Keep on trying as hard as you can to defeat him and follow me. Either way, I'll be back soon."

As she passed Madara, he said quietly, "I'll be seeing you there."

She just grit her teeth and sprinted off, ignoring the calls of her teammates behind her as she grabbed Hayasa from her shinobi pouch and flew away.

* * *

Sasuke watched with wide eyes as those two blood-soaked fingers moved toward his face. He forced himself not to flinch, prepared himself for the pain of having an eye removed to come.

As the fingers moved closer, Sasuke saw Itachi's lips tilt up, and, slowly, a smile formed.

Finally, the fingers touched him—but not where he expected. Instead of ripping out his eye, they pressed gently, almost tenderly, against his dirt- and blood-covered forehead.

_Poke._

"Sorry, Sasuke," Itachi said, the small smile painfully apparent on his lips. "This is the last time."

For a moment, Sasuke stopped breathing. He remained still, unmoving with no strength or will _to _move, as Itachi's fingers dragged down his cheek, along the expanse of his neck, and finally fell away.

Sasuke didn't move his gaze from staring sightlessly at the charred, cracked ground in front of him.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Itachi fall forward, toward the wall, and begin to slide down it, coming to a stop only when his body lay spread out on the cool, hard, concrete ground.

Sasuke's breath came out in soft pants, his eyes wide, his arms limp as he rested against the wall for support. Above him, grey clouds shifted and moved to block the sun, pouring rain upon the desolate landscape.

Only then did Sasuke allow himself to glance over at his brother's lifeless form. Itachi's eyes were open, focused blankly on the stormy sky.

Sasuke's eyelids lowered, and he smiled softly as he found himself falling forward.

Then a flash of pink entered his vision, and the last thought on his mind as he became enveloped in a warm, welcoming embrace, effectively stopping his fall, was, _…Sakura…?_

* * *

"Damn, how the hell does this guy do it?" Naruto's eyes flickered between rage and downright fury. "I just want to freakin' go get my friend and put him back where he belongs! Is that too much to ask for?"

So far, Tobi had evaded all of their attacks, even Shino's bugs, which they had been positive were going to work before Tobi had vanished into seeming nothingness and then reappeared on another branch, greeting them all with a "Hey, guys!" and an enthusiastic wave.

Equally pissed, Kiba growled and jumped into the air, yelling, "Take this, you bastard!" as he began to spin rapidly, effectively beginning his Fang Drill technique. He plummeted straight where Tobi stood.

The Akatsuki member gleefully skipped out of the way, leaving Kiba to drill straight into the ground and grant himself a massive headache. "Son of a bitch," he slurred, his head spinning.

Suddenly, a stir of chakra caught Kakashi's attention, and he watched as a green plant-like thing emerged from the branch Tobi was standing on. It didn't open all the way, so whatever was on the inside was left unseen.

"Well?" Tobi questioned it.

"_It's all over_," the plant answered.

Naruto squinted to see what the new form exactly was. "What the hell is that?" he exclaimed, giving up.

"He's in the Akatsuki file Kabuto left behind," Kakashi stated.

Naruto's eyes narrowed. "Damn it all, _more _people trying to delay us?" he shouted.

"Sasuke won," the plant announced, now opened fully to reveal a person with one-half of its body black and the other white. "Uchiha Itachi is dead."

Tobi waved his hands in the air. "Wow, I didn't see _that _one coming!" He paused for a moment, then continued, "_Not. _Just as I predicted, actually!"

"Sasuke collapsed not long after, however," the lighter voice said. "_He's probably fading quickly._"

"Well, then," Tobi concluded, and his voice grew steadily deeper and more serious, "I guess I'll play with you children some other time." His one crimson eye flashed, now visible to the whole group.

"Sharingan?" Kakashi exclaimed. His eyes narrowed, and his brows furrowed. "Just who the hell _is _he?"

"Bye-bye!" Tobi called, and waved one last time before he disappeared into nothingness.

* * *

_He's dead._

Sasuke's head was resting on her shoulder, his face turned toward her neck, his breath ragged against her pale skin.

She clutched his limp form tighter to her.

_Dear Kami, he's really dead. Itachi's dead._

For some reason, the tears didn't come. She couldn't decide whether it was because she was too shocked, or simply because all her tears had been dried up, used.

Or maybe it was because she had never experienced something so utterly, terrifyingly _painful _in her whole life, and her mind just did not know how to cope with it.

She didn't think she could handle looking at his—_cold, unresponsive, bloodied, lifeless—_body any more, so she turned to the only solid, real thing she had left at the moment: his killer.

She pressed her face into Sasuke's soiled black shinobi shirt, and her muffled screams filled the air.

* * *

"Damn it, we have to get to Sasuke before them!" Kakashi commanded sternly. "If we don't, they might try to get a hold of Sakura, too."

"All right, her scent is clear," Kiba announced. "Follow me!"

* * *

"Hmmm," Madara drew out. "Seems I have a little obstacle in my way of Itachi's corpse."

Sakura slowly lifted her head from where she sat beside Itachi's body—with Sasuke's unconscious form resting across her lap, his head buried in the crook of her arm—to stare blankly at the Akatsuki founder.

When she spoke, her voice was flat and emotionless. "What do you want, Madara?"

* * *

"I've got the others' scent!" Kiba shouted. "They've already reached Sasuke and Sakura!"

Naruto cursed, his eyes flashing red.

Suddenly, blame flames were visible in front of them, blocking their way. They waved black and forth, giving off an incredible amount of heat, eating away at everything in their path.

"What's that?" Kiba questioned.

Naruto glared at the flames, brows furrowed. "It's one of Itachi's techniques."

Kakashi turned to Yamato, and the younger shinobi nodded. "I'm on it."

Yamato clasped his hands together in an Earth-style sign, and then slammed his palm to the ground. Instantly, the ground the black flames were burning began to raise into the sky, and, once finished, split down the middle, effectively creating a fissure for the group to travel through.

"Go on without me," Yamato ordered, his chakra focused on his jutsu.

"Okay, everyone else follow me," Kakashi called, and continued on at a sprint.

* * *

"I need them both to come with me," Madara stated.

Sakura's voice cracked as she ran her fingers through Sasuke's hair and answered, "Itachi's dead - you don't need him anymore. I'm taking his body back to Konoha."

"To do what?" Madara laughed coldly. "He'll only be tossed aside for all the wrong he has done to that worthless village."

"Then I'll expose his true reasons, and expose you while I'm at it!" she shrieked, fangs flashing. "You can take Sasuke for all I care, but _Itachi is coming with me_."

"She's a feisty one," Zetsu remarked from his spot beside the Akatsuki founder. "_Can we keep her, Madara?_"

Sakura nearly growled at the plant-like man.

"So you would leave Sasuke—your very own teammate—with me, and instead save a lifeless corpse?" Madara seemed amused. "I know you are smart, dearest Sakura, but where is the logic in that?"

She glanced down at Sasuke's limp body in her arms, and then at Itachi lying on the ground in front of her. She swallowed before turning back to Madara. "Sasuke will return to us in his own time, whether it be by force or by his own decision," she said slowly, "and as such I will not allow you to have Itachi. Neither of them belong to you, but at least Sasuke is still alive. On the other hand, if I give Itachi to you now"—her voice cracked again—"he won't be honored in the way he deserves."

"Very noble of you, Sakura," Madara said lightly. "But I have an even better idea: why don't I just take all three of you?"

'_You cannot let him have you, Sakura,' _the Tigress warned. _'His eyes are far too powerful to be reckoned with, and I am not as strong as I used to be centuries ago. He might try to use what powers I have left.'_

"In your dreams," Sakura snarled. "I'm taking Itachi with me whether you like it or not."

"Really, now?"

Abruptly, he was right in front of her, blocking Itachi's body from her view. Sakura felt emptiness in her arms, and found that Sasuke had been moved away from her.

Madara was fast with his teleportation jutsu—faster than even Itachi, and so she sensed a steady haze begin to creep into the corners of her consciousness as she stared into Madara's one visible Sharingan eye, left with nothing to use to fight back.

As she faded, she distantly heard his last words to her: "I'll leave you be for now, dearest Sakura, but always remember that I will eventually have you within my grasp. And don't worry—I'll make sure to take _good _care of your beloved Uchiha brothers."

_Shit, _she thought, and consequently lost hold of reality.

* * *

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto's voice rose in alarm as he caught sight of his pink-haired teammate's unconscious body lying on the ground. "Come on, Sakura-chan!" he shouted when he reached her. He took her in his arms and shook her gently. "Sakura-chan, wake _up_. Don't do this to me right now!"

Sakura gradually pried her eyelids apart, and blinked up at Naruto's frantic form. She inhaled sharply, and then coughed.

Naruto's gaze was worried and questioning at the same time.

Sakura just shook her head slowly in response.

"There's still a trace of their scent, but…" Kiba trailed off.

"We're too late," Kakashi finished, his two visible eyes focused on the forest surrounding them.

Naruto's jaw clenched, and he lowered his head to hide his expression.

But he couldn't stop his shoulders from shaking, couldn't stop the tears from falling.

In that moment, the only noise was the constant rain pouring down on them all.

* * *

When Sasuke opened his eyes, he was met with the pointed ceiling of a cave, the vague image of pink lingering in his mind.

Sasuke bolted upright when a voice spoke to him from the darkness.

"I gave you some basic medical treatment."

He stared blankly in the direction of the voice as it continued blandly, "You won."

_Itachi._

Sasuke's gaze lowered.

"It was a close battle," the voice remarked. "You're still badly wounded. I really should've had Sakura heal you while I had the chance."

Sasuke's hand curled into a fist, but his expression remained impassive otherwise.

Finally, the figure the voice belonged to stepped into the dull candlelight. Sasuke remembered him from his fight with Deidara.

"We've met once before, as enemies," Tobi continued, "but I would like for you to see me as an ally now."

Sasuke just stared blankly.

"Before you decide to completely ignore everything I say," the Akatsuki member said evenly, "I have something to tell you that you might want to hear. It's about your brother."

Sasuke stiffened slightly.

"There's the reaction I want to see," Tobi said approvingly. "It is quiet amusing, really, how much you know about Uchiha Itachi, and yet at the same time, there is so much you _don't_ know. Even dearest Sakura is more knowledgeable about the other side of your brother more than you are as of this moment."

Sasuke just blinked slowly.

At the lack of response, Tobi raised a hand to his mask and said, "All right, why don't I start by introducing myself?" He began to remove his mask. "Like you, I am a living, breathing Uchiha…"

Sasuke's eyes widened minutely as the mask was pulled off enough to reveal one of Tobi's Sharingan orbs.

Sasuke suddenly found his left eye activated with his own Sharingan, and, slowly, it began to change into a form he recognized but was unfamiliar with in himself. Blood began to pool in his eye and gradually overflow, leaving a path of crimson down his cheek.

Across from him, Madara took an unsteady step back. _Impossible, _he thought, stunned, and abruptly found the black flames of Amaterasu eating away at the material of his shirt on his right shoulder. He fumbled backward into the darkness, slowly being engulfed by the obsidian flames.

Sasuke heard muffled sounds coming from the opposite side of the cave, but the sudden pain in his left eye drew his attention away from it. He clamped his hand over the bleeding eye, panting harshly, still not comprehending what exactly had happened. Only when he felt his Sharingan recede to its normal form and finally vanish did he try to control his labored gasps.

"What the hell was that?" he breathed, staring at his bloodied hand.

Tobi's voice answered from the darkness. "The Amaterasu Itachi implanted within you," he said, stepping smoothly into the light once again, his body completely unharmed, the flames of Amaterasu now gone. "He never ceases to amaze me, even in death. Planning for a situation like this…" Tobi shook his head. "It just blows my mind."

Sasuke's gaze darkened. "What are you saying?"

"He did something—something peculiar—to you before he died, correct?"

_Poke._

Sasuke's lips pulled into a tight line.

Tobi sighed. "It was a last-effort trap to try to kill me," he explained.

At the younger Uchiha's blank gaze, Tobi sighed again.

"Let me make this easier on both of us - I'll start from the very beginning."

* * *

"Sakura-chan? Are you okay?"

She tore her vacant gaze from the trees ahead of them and turned to meet Naruto's pure blue eyes. She opened her mouth, and then closed it. When she finally spoke, her voice was rough with unshed tears. "Actually, Naruto, I'm not okay," she croaked, and swallowed. "Even though he might've done some bad things over the years"—_there were reasons that you don't know of yet—_"Itachi…he was never a truly bad person."

Naruto kept his gaze focused steadily on hers, not commenting on anything his teammate said about the killer of the Uchiha clan.

The rest of the group had moved on to give them some privacy, and so they were left to talk in silence.

"It's hard, Naruto," she whispered. "It's hard to lose someone you care about, and have to live with the fact that they're never coming back." She swallowed once again. "At least we have a chance with Sasuke, but with Itachi…"

Naruto placed a hand in hers, and she grasped it tightly. He wanted so badly to shake her and yell, '_Sakura-chan, he was a cold-blooded murderer! He was the person who forced Sasuke to leave us! How can you possibly say you cared about him?' _

But he didn't, because Sakura needed his support.

"With Itachi," she said softly, painfully, "he's really gone. He's dead."

The blonde jinchuriki pulled Sakura to him and wrapped his arms around her, her face pressed into his chest.

Still, she didn't cry.

"Oh, Kami, Naruto," she choked out. "He's_ gone._"

* * *

"Lies."

Sasuke found it hard to think coherently.

"What you said isn't true," he said, staring blankly at the cavern walls. "It's all lies. It can't possibly be true."

"Everything I've told you," Madara responded calmly, "has been absolutely factual, I assure you."

Finally, Sasuke cracked. "_Damn it, you're lying_!" he shouted. "If what you say is true, then where the _hell_ does Sakura fit into all this?"

"Yes, that one was quite unexpected," Madara said, amused. "But Itachi had his plans for her, also."

Sasuke grit his teeth. "What could he have possibly wanted with her?"

Madara's one visible Sharingan eye flashed. "You speak of her as if she is weak, Sasuke."

"She was nothing but a useless addition to my genin team five years ago," Sasuke replied flatly. "I doubt she has changed since."

Madara chuckled. "Really, now? Because the last time I checked, her Akatsuki member defeat toll had risen to two."

Sasuke remained silent, questioning.

"You haven't heard?" Madara asked evenly. "About two years ago, she defeated and killed the Akatsuki member known as Sasori along with the help of an old Suna-nin."

Sasuke blinked.

"And just two weeks ago," the Akatsuki founder continued, almost gleefully, "she defeated your brother, just as you did recently."

"Impossible," Sasuke replied immediately. "There is no way an Uchiha could have been defeated by a mere kunoichi such as herself. The Sharingan can only be matched against another Sharingan."

"Well, she proved us both wrong, because what I said was true." Madara folded his arms across each other. "Mind you, she did it with the best training one could have received."

The younger Uchiha glared, suspicious of what was to come.

"Over the last two years," Madara explained, "Haruno Sakura has been training under the tutelage of both Uchiha Itachi—"

Sasuke's brows drew together, the mention of two mentors unprecedented.

"—and the Fujin na Tora Seishin, the latter of which Sakura is the host of."

"Fujin na Tora Seishin?" The title felt foreign on Sasuke's lips. "I have never heard of it."

"Many people haven't. Only few know of her existence in the past, and even less know that she is still alive today." Madara turned so he was looking into the empty shadows of the cave. "The Fujin na Tora Seishin was said to be extremely powerful, even on par with the Jubi so many centuries ago. However, as the world of the shinobi began to grow, she eventually faded into a sort of non-existence. People began to speak of her as if she were only a myth, and did not question her absence. Only recently did Itachi begin to keep track of her whereabouts, and he captured her. He was in need of a host for her, since she would not allow him to fulfill the job." Madara's eye gleamed from the light of the candle. "That was where Haruno Sakura came in."

"So now Sakura is the host of a powerful creature?" Sasuke's voice was flat and emotionless.

Madara nodded. "Although the Tigress's abilities and potency have dimmed over the years, she could still easily wipe out an entire country if she pleased. And under the Tigress's tutelage along with Itachi's, Sakura has grown into someone not to be underestimated, much like your other teammate, Naruto."

"Why did she want to train under Itachi?" Madara noted how Sasuke's voice caught a little on his brother's name.

"Isn't it obvious?" Madara questioned, slightly sarcastic. "She wanted to grow stronger so she could eventually bring you back to Konoha."

"Shouldn't she have been a little less trusting of him?" Sasuke whipped out callously, his gaze hard. "Didn't she know she was running off with a murderer?"

_She wanted to grow stronger to bring you back to Konoha._

Sasuke clenched his hand into a fist.

"From what I am guessing, Itachi told her the truth of the massacre—of me—not long after he convinced her to come with him. She wouldn't have been so wary of me the first time we met otherwise."

"Itachi told Sakura…himself?" Sasuke drew out slowly.

Madara seemed amused. "Yes, actually. You shouldn't be too surprised. My sources claim that the two of them grew to be quite close over the last two years."

Sasuke froze. "What do you mean by that?"

Madara chuckled lightly. "You'll just have to ask Sakura herself sometime. It's really not my place to speak."

Sasuke watched Madara with cold, apathetic onyx eyes as the Akatsuki founder turned on his heel and headed toward the exit of the cave, his coat swirling behind him.

* * *

**A/N: **Um, don't kill me. I'd already had this planned long before I started writing it. So. Yeah. Sorry. Itachi's dead. D:

**I have finally drawn a picture of how Sakura would look in this story** (with all her marks and such). :D **Check out my profile to see the link.**

Anyway, if you're into more hard core/screamo-ish type music (I don't know if any of you are…), I would highly recommend listening to the song that I took an excerpt out of at the beginning of the chapter. It's called "Don't Go" by Bring Me the Horizon, and I swear, the first time I listened to it, I almost cried. It's such a beautiful, melancholy song. But if you're not into that type of music, then…yeah. Just look it up on Youtube and give it a chance, at least. If not, you're missing out on a great piece.

Oh!** I almost forgot**: I just posted a new story (it's going to be a multi-chapter, but probably with no more than seven or eight chapters) called "Alerion," so, if you will, check it out and leave me a comment. It's going to be pretty dark, so I'll need some constructive criticism. :)

That's all I had to say, so, as always, please review!

Please and thank you,

Silver Echo


	16. To Hell and Back

"_All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy. For what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another."_

- Anatole France

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto.

**Silent Sacrifice Chapter 15: To Hell and Back**

* * *

"What are you doing? It's nearly midnight." Madara's voice cut into the peaceful silence of the night.

Sasuke glanced over from where he sat alone, watching the full moon gleaming above. "The moon reminds me of him," he replied quietly, turning his gaze back to the sky. "I've been thinking of that night, of the memories I tried to forget." Sasuke tilted his head to the side, his gaze squinting ever so minutely. "And, now that I look deeper into what happened, I remember something…" His fingers clutched at the material of his pants. "I'd thought my mind was playing tricks on me - I saw a flash of liquid rolling down his cheek, just for a moment. I couldn't figure it out. But it looks like you were telling the truth."

Madara watched the younger Uchiha, slightly curious.

With his onyx gaze still fixed on the limitless, open sky, Sasuke continued, "I remember now - that night, as he left…"

The youngest living Uchiha forced his voice not to waver.

"…Itachi was crying…"

* * *

Sakura clenched her fist as she felt Naruto and Kakashi's chakra signatures approach the Hokage tower. She glanced at Sai's emotionless form beside her, and then toward Tsunade where the Hokage sat at her desk, silent and unmoving. Shizune met Sakura's gaze, her dark eyes worried. Several of Jiraiya's frogs sat in the room with them, their heads slightly bowed.

Sakura just took a deep breath, and turned back as Naruto and Kakashi entered the room.

At the sight of Naruto's confused expression, Sakura had to force herself to calm down.

_To hell with you, Pein. You just keep on hurting us. First Naochi-san, and now Jiraiya…_

"You see," the smallest toad continued from his talk with Naruto (which Sakura had tuned out from), "little Jiraiya died in battle just recently."

Sakura could barely stand to watch as Naruto's expression turned to one of complete incredulity - his eyes widened, his jaw fell slack.

…_you're going to pay for this. There is no way Naruto will let this one go. You have brought your own death upon you. _

"W-what did you just say?"

Sakura closed her eyes, turning her head downward.

_Pein, you won't be alive much longer._

Naruto's tone, when he spoke, was that of someone who had just lost a large, irreplaceable part of them self.

_Naruto will be coming after you, so watch your back._

* * *

"How did it go?" Zetsu questioned, his form completely hidden by the plant appendages enclosed around him. His voice echoed from the hollow area he was incased within.

"It went well," Madara answered smoothly, focused on the water around the bridge they were standing on. "Better than I thought it would, actually. Sasuke remained pretty calm throughout the whole story."

"That's good." Zetsu's voice was slightly uninterested.

"There is no one to trouble me now that Itachi is dead," Madara continued. "Sasuke is ours to control." His one visible Sharingan eye flashed. "Now, we sit back and see what happens."

* * *

"You see, before poor ol' Jiraiya died, he left a message for y'all."

The smallest toad - Fukasaku was his name - hopped around so that his back was exposed to the group. "An' here it is!"

Tsunade's eyebrows drew sharply together before the toad turned to face them again.

"He did it so the Akatsuki wouldn't know what he was sayin'," the toad chirped. "Jiraiya-chan died for this here."

Naruto's quiet voice suddenly cut through the thick air. "Baa-chan, did you send him there?"

Tsunade's eyes closed. "Yes."

"What the _hell were you thinking?_" The blonde's voice rose to a shout. "You knew how Ero-Sennin could get! How dare you send him on such a risky mission -"

Kakashi held his arm out as Naruto made to take a step forward. "That's enough, Naruto." The jounin's tone was impassive.

Naruto's teeth gnashed together. "Screw this," he spat.

Before Sakura could stop him, he had stomped out of the room in a whirl of orange. Some how, she knew she couldn't be the one to comfort him. Not this time. The blow he'd taken was far too deep for any healing she could do.

* * *

_Ding-dong. _

The door opened slowly, creaking. A lone blue eye peaked through. "Shikamaru?" Naruto's voice was weary. "What do you want?"

The brown-haired shinobi raised an eyebrow. Even such a minute action screamed of languor. "Can I come in?" he drawled.

"Uh, yeah, sure…"

Shikamaru stepped inside, noticing the empty ramen cups littering the floor.

"So," Naruto yawned, "what's this about?"

Shikamaru noticed that the blonde didn't seem as down as he'd thought he would be. His eyes were dull, yes - a direct contrast to the brightness they usually gave off - but it seemed he had stepped away from the verge of the crisis. Iruka must've gotten to him.

The jounin held up a picture depicting the code on the toad's back. "Does this make any sense to you?"

Naruto was staring at the ground sightlessly, gaze blank.

Shikamaru sighed. "Hellooooo, Naruto?"

He waved a hand in front of the blonde's face, and suddenly he was jolted back to reality.

Maybe the blonde wasn't okay as he'd thought.

"Ah, sorry, sorry!" Naruto chuckled uneasily. "What am I doing, now?"

Shikamaru sighed once more and stood up. "Come with me for a minute," he said.

"Where?"

"Just get up."

* * *

"Oh, hi, guys!" Kurenai waved to them from where she was walking down the steps of the hospital.

Naruto didn't miss the small smile that graced Shikamaru's lips.

"You know," Kurenai continued, "you don't always have to come visit us like this."

_Us? _Naruto thought, and then he noticed the little boy grasping Kurenai's fingers, staring at him with big, dark eyes.

"I'm afraid I do," Shikamaru replied, voice kind. "Asuma made me promise."

Kurenai smiled, and kneeled down to the little boy at her side. "Say hi to Naruto," she whispered in the kid's ear.

"Hi, Nawuto," the boy mumbled shyly, moving to hide behind his mother's legs.

Kurenai chuckled. "Miro's just started picking up on some words. He's pretty talented for a two-year-old, ne?"

Naruto felt his lips curve upward. He'd known Kurenai had a kid, but this was his first time actually seeing him. "Better than me at that age, I bet," he said softly, making the red-eyed female laugh.

"Well, we'd best be on our way," she announced. "We're going to get ice cream as a treat for Miro doing so well during his check up." Stepping toward the two, she whispered, "If you guys see Sakura, tell her I said thank you. She's the only one who's been able to keep the kid from crying."

Shikamaru saluted to her. "Will do, ma'am."

"Bye-bye, Shikamawu!" Miro called, stumbling after his mom as they walked away.

The jounin smiled whole-heartedly and waved.

Naruto turned to the brown-haired shinobi once they had disappeared.

"That kid's gonna be my pupil someday," Shikamaru said, staring down the path they'd walked.

Naruto's eyes widened.

"Asuma left him in my care," he continued, gaze now focused on the sky.

The blonde's eyes flickered from the road and back to Shikamaru. He could see the pride in the older man's stance. And Naruto thought to himself in that moment that one day, Shikamaru would make an excellent dad. An excellent sensei, too.

"I know about Jiraiya-sama." The soft-spoken words jolted Naruto from his thoughts. He raised his eyes to meets Shikamaru's hardened gaze. "I lost my teacher, too. I know what you're going through. Nothing will happen if you keep hesitating."

Naruto's brows furrowed.

"You're not in a position to do that anymore," Shikamaru went on.

"What do you mean?" Naruto questioned, frowning.

Once more, Shikamaru shifted his attention to the sky as he spoke. "Asuma entrusted me with a lot, from things big to little. It's the same for you, Naruto…an unlimited number of things. Same for Sakura, too. We've all lost one of the most important figures in our life, and we've been given responsibilities."

Naruto thought of Sakura's broken expression, of the tears that refused to fall as she mourned Itachi's death. If Itachi meant even as close to her as Jiraiya did to him…

Maybe, just maybe, he could start to understand her.

"Don't you think it's about time for us?" Shikamaru asked.

"Time for what?"

"To be the ones who entrust," the brown-haired shinobi answered, "not the entrusted." He smiled a small smile. "It's a pain in the ass, but I can't say that." He sighed, and finally met Naruto's gaze. "Just think, pretty soon, you'll be the one treating some kid to ramen. You'll see Sakura leading her genin team to do some training, and you'll look down at your own team, and they'll call you 'Naruto-sensei.' We can't stay kids forever, Naruto -"

_You have to grow up at some point._

"- not if we wanna be kick-ass shinobi like Asuma and Jiraiya-sama, that is."

Naruto met Shikamaru's slight grin with his own.

The older man shoved the picture in front of his face. "Now get a grip. You've got work to do."

* * *

Sakura had packed herself a bento in the morning - a simple meal consisting of onigiri and sliced salmon. Once her shift at the hospital was over - Tsunade had agreed to let her back on the roster, to her great joy - she headed over to Team Seven's old training grounds.

Minutes later, she found herself standing in front of the three old cut tree trunks Kakashi had tied them to on their first day of training.

"_Damn it, Kakashi-sensei, I'm gonna murder you!" Naruto screamed as he struggled with the ropes restraining him._

_Sakura glared. "Shut up, you moron! Like you'd be able to take on a jounin!"_

"_Tch, idiots," Sasuke's ever emotionless voice joined in._

Sakura felt her throat constrict. Thinking of such things wasn't good for her.

She padded over to the middle trunk, and planted herself down beside it. With her back resting against the aged wood, she began to unwrap her bento.

"_What is that?" _

_Sakura glanced up to meet Itachi's opaque eyes. She didn't think she'd ever stop being secretly glad that he trusted her enough not to activate his Sharingan around her._

"_My lunch," she responded, holding up her small bento box. She'd just finished training for the day, and the many strawberries and peach slices she'd prepared for herself had never looked better. Especially with the sugar she'd sprinkled on top._

_"Is that all?"__ he questioned, frowning. _

_She frowned back. "Yes. Do you have a problem? See, it might not have protein like fish or meat, but it's good to have a lot of fruit, too. Plus" - she grinned - "it's delicious." She picked up a strawberry with her chopsticks and held it up to him. "Wanna try some?"_

_She fully expected him to deny, or maybe, if he accepted, to just grab the fruit with his fingers. But then he leaned down, closed his mouth around the strawberry, and pulled away, chewing thoughtfully._

_Sakura gaped at him in disbelief. Had he just eaten off her chopsticks? Had she just _fed _him?_

_Desunei was thoroughly entertained - her laugher reverberated through Sakura's head._

_Finished, Itachi met the pink-haired kunoichi's astounded gaze. Faint amusement flickered in his obsidian depths. "Too sweet," he admonished. "But" - his voice grew slightly lighter, less inexpressive - "I can tolerate. May I have another?"_

_She stared at him for a few more seconds before his words registered in her mind. "Uh, yeah, of course." Sakura fumbled with her chopsticks and picked up another strawberry. "H-here you go."_

_This time, she was prepared for his movement. He leaned down and took the small fruit in his mouth, pausing with his lips just barely touching her chopsticks to meet her eyes. She swallowed, startled, but in the next moment he was standing at his full height._

"_Thank you," he said evenly, and she could only nod as he walked away._

Her bento was left opened and untouched. Her gaze focused on a nearby tree, staring at its kunai-scratched trunk with sightless eyes.

Involuntarily, her hand found the light thread of her necklace, and she fingered the three small, metal rings that hung from it.

"_I've noticed the necklace you wear," Sakura commented as she whetted her kunai to a deadly sharpness. "Is there any significance to it? You don't have to answer me if you don't want. I was just curious."_

_The Uchiha on the other side of the small clearing cracked an eye open to look at her. His arms were crossed, back resting against the side of a smooth boulder. "My mother picked it out for me when I was young," he responded flatly. "She said it would look good." He grew silent. Then: "I was not very fond of it, but she told me it would make a nice present to give to a girl, if I ever found one I liked."_

_The pink-haired kunoichi halted in her movements, tilting her head thoughtfully before turning to meet his gaze. "Have you ever liked someone, Itachi? In a romantic kind of way?"_

_He remained still. His eyes shifted to the darkening sky above them. "I did," he responded quietly. "Years ago, I did."_

"_What happened to her?"_

"_I killed her," he answered, like it was nothing. Sakura stiffened at the lack of emotion in his tone. "She was a part of the clan, a very distant cousin, I believe. I murdered her along with the rest of her family."_

_Sakura stared down at the kunai in her hands, imagining driving it through the heart of the one she loved. _

_Her brows furrowed. Two years ago, it would've been Sasuke she pictured. Now…she wasn't so sure._

_Her eyes flickered to the Uchiha across from her. "Do you think you'll ever find someone to give it to again?"_

"_Well, just for the sake of it, I was planning on giving it to Sasuke. It'd be a shame for a present from our mother to go to waste." _

_Sakura smiled._

"_As far as in the sense you're speaking about…" She saw his eyes turn to look at her. Brows raised, she locked her gaze with his._

_One corner of his lips tilted upward. "I guess we'll just have to see."_

Sakura lowered her head to her knees, pushing her fingers into her hair. Deep breaths forced their way through her lungs as she fought to keep herself from panicking.

_It hurts._

She crossed her arms over her chest, clutching at her bare arms.

_It _hurts.

A choked gasp escaped her lips, followed by a soft, tearless sob.

_Itachi…_

Sakura hugged herself tightly. The pain of her fingernails drawing blood upon her biceps didn't register in her mind.

…_I miss you. So much. You don't even know -_

She heaved a large, shaky breath.

_Why? Whywhywhywhywhy_why -

'_Sakura.'_

The pink-haired kunoichi squeezed her eyes closed once before opening them.

_I'm sorry, Tigress. It's just that -_

'_I know. It's okay. Mourning for someone you love isn't something to be ashamed about. But you're hurting yourself, child - look at your arms.'_

Slowly, Sakura raised her head, and blinked as she took in the bloodied, torn state of her biceps. Her blunt nails had dug in hard enough to make it look like they had been through a shredder.

A flicker of chakra, and they were healed.

'_Now eat, child. You'll need every ounce of strength you have from now on.'_

_And why is that? _Sakura wondered, finally breaking apart her chopsticks and beginning to dig in.

'_Can't you feel it in the air?'_

Sakura frowned.

'_Chaos, child.' _Desunei's thought-voice was soft. _'Chaos is upon us.'_

* * *

"'The real one isn't with them.'"

Naruto scratched his head. "Okay, we've discovered the code and all, but what the hell does _that _mean?"

Kakashi's _Icha Icha Tactics _book lay open before them. Shikamaru shook his head at the genius of it all. If it weren't for Naruto's knowing that Jiraiya's "9" in the code was really the katakana character for "ta" - eventually leading them to look at the _Ta__ctics _book, and the first word of each page number given from then on - they'd still be left in the dark.

"We should get in touch with Fukasaku-sama," Kakashi spoke up. "It should mean something to him if he was there during the fight with Pein."

"I'll ask the Godaime to find him right away," Shikamaru responded.

"All right!" Naruto chimed in, and pumped his fist in the air. "Let's go talk to her right now!"

* * *

"So," Madara began, "what kept you?" His single, visible Sharingan eye stared impassively at the orange-haired man to his right.

Pein responded with an even colder tone. "I had an unprecedented visitor."

The eldest living Uchiha gave a harsh, clipped chuckle. "Someone managed to delay the invincible Pein? I guess the Legendary Sannin Jiraiya lives up to his title, eh?"

Akatsuki's so-called "God" wasn't amused in the least. "At any rate, he's dead. I can start hunting the Kyuubi whenever I want."

"Konoha will be searching for you now, I'm sure you know," Madara said as he rose from his seat. "The longer you wait, the more time they'll have to plan. Get moving" - his voice lowered to a deadly steadiness - "before things get problematic."

Konan spoke up for the first time since their impromptu meeting began. "Pein is unassailable," she countered flatly. "He will obtain the Kyuubi, no matter what it takes."

Madara turned his cold stare to the azure-haired female. "Only two more bijuu now," he stated. "Sasuke is taking care of the Hachibi."

Konan's brows drew together. "Killer Bee? Can he handle that?"

"Sasuke will succeed," the Uchiha replied, undeterred. "This…"

Konan could almost picture Madara's cold smile beneath the mask he adorned.

"This, I can guarantee."

* * *

Orange hair whipped about as another gust of harsh wind flew by. Six pairs of sterling grey eyes stared forward soullessly. Identical black cloaks with the signature red clouds rustled, whipping back and forth with faint snapping noises.

"Get ready, Konan," one of the six men spoke with a voice completely devoid of emotion.

His blank gaze turned to the churning sky.

"We're heading for Konoha."

* * *

**A/N: ***cough* Why, hello there kind people of the world! *weak smile* You all know I love you dearly, right? No need to murder me, right?

...has it been over a year already? Crap.

Never mind. Murder me all you want. Kill me, then resurrect me so you can kill me again. I deserve it for being such a lazy-ass authoress who would rather watch Korean dramas all day (LEE MIN HO WILL YOU MARRY ME?) and drool over SHINee's music videos than let even the mere concept of wiping the dust off this story cross her mind. (Well, that, and AP Euro was a bitch. I probably wrote a book's worth of essays about King Henry VIII and his hos. I passed the Exam, though! Yay for actually opening the textbook!) _  
_

Ahem. Anyways. I haven't exactly been _inactive_, as those of you who have put me on your watch list have probably noticed. I've written a few one shots in between, and even reached the first ending of a multi-chaptered story (R.I.P. _Alerion_). But for whatever the reason, whenever I thought of this story, I cringed and immediately went back to my husband (ha! I wish) for comfort. It wasn't until today - maybe I just had a sudden urge? Nah, I think it was the guilt - that I finally decided to get off my ass (figuratively - I was still very much so on my ass while writing this) and get this son of a mother finished.

And here it is. After being away from it for so long, I'm not too sure about it, but honestly, it's moving in the direction I want it to, so I can't complain too much. Not much Sakura action (I almost broke into tears while writing the flashbacks), but have no fear! She will unleash her badass-ery sooner than later! In my eyes, having her and Naruto sharing the spotlight (and eventually, yes, Sasuke too - he's just taking a while to earn that spot) makes it more believable to the actual _Naruto _story line rather than just Sakura. And I'm trying to make this as realistic and _in_-character as possible. So, while Sakura is stronger here in our little world, she will not be an overlord, even if we all wish Kishimoto-sensei would deem her as such.

Speaking of Kishimoto, who's excited for the sixth-month wait for the english-subbed version of _Road to Ninja_?

_I_ think I can survive - Sasuke's hitting on Sakura, guys. What more can we ask for?

Well, now that I've proven that I can officially write a longer Author's Note than the actual story (oh sarcasm, how I love thee), I'm afraid I must sleep. Because heaven knows I never do _that _anymore. (SHINeeissoworthit,fo'shizzle.)

Sincerely and with many apologies,

Silver Echo


End file.
